El-Rufai Tinubu 2027 warning sparks rebuttal from Presidency after claims that the President may attempt to stay in power beyond constitutional limits
El-Rufai Tinubu 2027 Alert has stirred fresh political tensions after the former Kaduna State governor alleged that President Bola Tinubu may seek to extend his stay in power beyond the constitutionally mandated term.
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Speaking in Kaduna on Saturday, Nasir El-Rufai claimed that Tinubu could emulate long-serving African leaders such as Cameroon’s Paul Biya, who has ruled since 1982 and recently declared his intention to run again at the age of 92.
El-Rufai made the comments while hosting former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who visited him in solidarity following a recent attack on El-Rufai by political thugs during an African Democratic Congress (ADC) event in the state.
“The sum 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 said.
His remarks have since drawn a swift and stern response from the Presidency.
Writing via his X account on Sunday night, the Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to the President, Bayo Onanuga, described El-Rufai’s comments as “baseless political fabrications”.
Onanuga accused the former governor of deliberately stoking public fear, suggesting that El-Rufai was unsettled by the “grand reception” Tinubu received during his recent visit to Kaduna—a turnout that contradicted El-Rufai’s claim that the North has abandoned the President.
“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,” Onanuga wrote. “This stands in stark contrast to his narrative.”
He rejected the El-Rufai Tinubu 2027 warning as “unfounded and absurd”, adding that Tinubu is committed to democratic principles and has no intention of staying in power beyond 2031, if re-elected.
“President Tinubu is a democrat who does not intend to stay in office beyond May 28, 2031, when re-elected in 2027,” Onanuga added.
The adviser further suggested that El-Rufai and his political allies were becoming desperate, warning that any attempt to stir panic over the 2027 elections was “doomed to fail.”
In a final jab, Onanuga called on Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State to engage with his predecessor, stating that El-Rufai “could benefit from professional counselling to steer him away from recent political fabrications.”
The El-Rufai Tinubu 2027 warning is the latest flashpoint in Nigeria’s simmering pre-election atmosphere, as old political alliances shift and battle lines are being drawn ahead of the next general elections.
Also read: Atiku Warns of Authoritarian Shift Under Tinubu
While the Presidency’s response seeks to downplay the threat, El-Rufai’s comments reflect growing discontent among some Northern powerbrokers—raising questions about regional loyalty, succession plans, and Tinubu’s hold on power in the years ahead.
