…“He needs counselling” – Presidency hits back
Former Kaduna State governor Nasir el-Rufa’i has launched a blistering attack on President Bola Tinubu’s administration, branding it “worse than any military regime” and warning that the President harbours ambitions to become “Nigeria’s Paul Biya”.
Speaking while hosting former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar in Kaduna over the weekend, el-Rufa’i accused the Tinubu government of centralizing power, stifling opposition, and betraying the democratic ideals of federalism. He declared that unless Nigerians unite to remove Tinubu in 2027, the president could attempt to perpetuate himself in power like Cameroon’s Paul Biya, who has ruled since 1982.
“This is worse than anything we saw under the military. Even Buhari, with his military background, never harassed opponents like this. But here we are with civilians behaving worse than soldiers,” el-Rufa’i said, describing the administration as “a disgrace to democracy”.
Atiku praised el-Rufa’i’s courage and urged opposition figures to remain steadfast in challenging Tinubu democratically in 2027.
However, the Presidency swiftly hit back. Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, dismissed el-Rufa’i’s comments as “baseless and absurd,” insisting Tinubu has no plans to extend his rule beyond 2031 if re-elected in 2027.
Onanuga posted on X: “President Tinubu is a democrat. Claims that he wants to become life president are hallucinations. El-Rufa’i has descended into political fabrications because his plots to stop Tinubu are failing”.
He added that Tinubu’s massive reception during his visit to Kaduna last Friday proved that the president still enjoys strong northern support, contrary to el-Rufa’i’s claims.
Onanuga even suggested el-Rufa’i might need “professional counselling” to overcome what he described as his “recent hallucinations and fantasies about 2027”.
