Tinubu not seeking power beyond 2031, Presidency dismisses El-Rufai’s claims

The Presidency has refuted claims that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu plans to remain in office beyond May 28, 2031, insisting that he is committed to Nigeria’s democratic principles.

In a statement on Sunday, the Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to the President, Bayo Onanuga, described former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai’s comments as “baseless and absurd.”

El-Rufai, while hosting former Vice President Atiku Abubakar at his residence over the weekend, accused the Tinubu administration of authoritarian tendencies, likening the president to Cameroon’s Paul Biya and warning that he might attempt to overstay in office.

Responding, Onanuga said the former governor’s remarks were unfounded and politically motivated. He argued that El-Rufai’s comments reflected frustration over what he termed the futility of efforts by El-Rufai and his allies in the African Democratic Congress (ADC) to prevent Tinubu’s re-election in 2027.

“President Tinubu is a democrat who does not intend to stay in office beyond May 28, 2031, when re-elected in 2027,” Onanuga said.

He added that the massive reception Tinubu received during his recent visit to Kaduna disproves El-Rufai’s claim that the North has abandoned the president. According to him, El-Rufai’s speculations are nothing more than “hallucinations and political fabrications.”

Onanuga also suggested that Kaduna State governor, Uba Sani, should reach out to his predecessor, noting that El-Rufai “may benefit from some professional counselling.”