Tinubu Has No Plan to Extend Tenure Beyond 2031 – Presidency Counters El-Rufai

The Presidency has dismissed claims by former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is plotting to extend his stay in office beyond constitutional limits.

In a statement issued on Monday, Presidential Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, described El-Rufai’s remarks as “baseless and absurd,” stressing that Tinubu remains fully committed to democratic principles.

El-Rufai, while hosting former Vice President Atiku Abubakar in Kaduna over the weekend, alleged that the Tinubu administration was sliding into authoritarianism, likening the president to Cameroon’s Paul Biya, who has held power since 1982.

But the Presidency dismissed the comparison, insisting that Tinubu will leave office at the end of his constitutional mandate — May 28, 2031, if re-elected in 2027.

“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 statement read.

The Presidency also accused El-Rufai and his allies in the African Democratic Congress (ADC) of pushing propaganda to weaken Tinubu’s base ahead of 2027, arguing that such efforts are “a mission doomed to fail.”

The exchange deepens the growing political rivalry between El-Rufai, now aligning with opposition forces, and the Tinubu presidency, as Nigeria edges closer to another tense electoral season.