The Presidency has rebuffed claims made by former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, asserting that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu does not plan to extend his presidency beyond 2031 if re-elected.
El-Rufai recently urged former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to unite Nigerians against President Tinubu ahead of the 2027 elections, alleging that the current administration is centralizing power rather than devolving it.
“If we don’t come together and end this Tinubu administration by 2027, Tinubu will try to be our Paul Biya, to be president for life. All the signs are there, this is how Paul Biya started,” El-Rufai warned.
In response, presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga labeled El-Rufai’s statements as “unfounded claims and speculations.” He emphasized that El-Rufai’s efforts to thwart Tinubu’s re-election are futile, stating, “This plot is proving to be unattainable, a mission doomed to fail.”
Onanuga highlighted President Tinubu’s enduring popularity, particularly in the North, referencing a warm reception he received in Kaduna recently. He dismissed El-Rufai’s tenure elongation claims as “baseless and absurd,” reinforcing that Tinubu is a democrat who does not intend to remain in office beyond May 28, 2031.
Onanuga further suggested that Governor Uba Sani should offer El-Rufai some professional advice to help him distance himself from “recent hallucinations and political fabrications” concerning Tinubu and the upcoming election.
