The Presidency has dismissed claims that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu intends to remain in office beyond May 28, 2031, stressing that the president is committed to upholding democratic principles.
In a statement issued on Sunday, Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, described allegations by former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, as “baseless and absurd.”
El-Rufai, during a solidarity visit to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar over the weekend, alleged that the Tinubu administration was sliding into authoritarianism and likened the president to Cameroon’s Paul Biya, who has been in power since 1982. He further accused the government of centralizing power at the expense of federalism, warning that such tendencies undermine Nigeria’s democracy.
According to El-Rufai, “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.”
But Onanuga dismissed the remarks as political propaganda, arguing that El-Rufai’s outburst reflected frustration over the strength of Tinubu’s support base, particularly in the North.
“Former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai appears to need some help, especially given his recent unfounded claims and speculations about President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” Onanuga said.
“It is increasingly evident that El-Rufai has recognised the futility of attempts by his associates in his new party, the ADC, to prevent President Tinubu’s likely re-election in 2027. After the rousing reception the President received in Kaduna last Friday, El-Rufai was clearly surprised by the depth of support Tinubu enjoys in the region, which contradicts his narrative of abandonment.”
He insisted that President Tinubu has no intention of extending his stay in power, stating: “President Tinubu is a democrat who does not intend to stay in office beyond May 28, 2031, when re-elected in 2027.”
Onanuga further advised Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani to engage his predecessor, saying El-Rufai “could benefit from some professional counselling to steer him away from hallucinations and political fabrications about Tinubu and 2027.”
