By Abiola Olawale
The immediate past Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, and the presidency are currently locked in a war of words over the former’s criticism of President Bola Tinubu.
This comes after El-Rufai accused Tinubu of allegedly scheming to become a “president for life” akin to Cameroon’s long-ruling Paul Biya.
El-Rufai, also a former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), stated that Tinubu may be in “power for life” if Nigerians fail to unite against him in the 2027 elections.
Recall that El-Rufai had made the remarks on Saturday when he received former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who paid him a solidarity visit following an attack by persons suspected to be political thugs during the inauguration of the African Democratic Congress in Kaduna.
“The total of this is that we are facing an evil of such a large proportion in the history of this country that if we don’t come together and end this Tinubu administration by 2027, Tinubu will try to be our Paul Biya. All the signs are there, this is how Paul Biya started,” El-Rufai had said.
However, in a swift response, the Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to the President, Bayo Onanuga, described the comments as “unfounded speculations” and “political fabrications.”
Onanuga said El-Rufai appeared unsettled by the warm reception Tinubu received during his visit to Kaduna last Friday.
He said: “After reports of the grand reception President Tinubu received in Kaduna last Friday, El-Rufai was clearly surprised by the depth of support the President continues to enjoy in the North. This stands in stark contrast to his narrative that the region has abandoned the President.
“In response, he resorted to spreading further unfounded stories, including the claim that President Tinubu intends to become a “life president” after 2027—a speculation that is baseless and absurd. President Tinubu is a democrat who does not intend to stay in office beyond May 28, 2031, when re-elected in 2027.”
Onanuga also urged Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, to engage with his predecessor, saying El-Rufai “could benefit from professional counselling to steer him away from his recent political fabrications on Tinubu and 2027.”
