Tinubu has no plan to extend tenure – Presidency replies El-Rufai

The Presidency says President Bola Tinubu has no intention of remaining in office beyond May 28, 2031, if re-elected in 2027, affirming that he remains committed to democratic principles.

This was contained in a statement by the Special Adviser to the president on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.

Onanuga stated that the speculation by former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai that the President wants to remain in power beyond his tenure is “baseless and absurd.”

El-Rufai had during a solidarity visit from former Vice President Atiku Abubakar over the weekend, alleged that the Tinubu administration is veering toward authoritarianism, comparing the president to Cameroon’s Paul Biya, who has remained in power since 1982.

Responding, the presidency said El-Rufai’s claims were unfounded, stressing that the claims were evident that his plot and that of his associates in the African Democratic Congress, ADC, to unseat Tinubu in 2027 is proving to be unattainable and a mission doomed to fail.

“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,” the Presidency said.