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

In a statement, the Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to President Tinubu, Bayo Onanuga, said 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.”

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

He also accused the current government of centralizing authority at the expense of federal principles, warning that such a trend threatens Nigeria’s democratic foundation.

“Honestly sir, to me, it is even a disgrace. I mean, for people to behave the way they are behaving, it means that all the years of saying that we are for democracy and NADECO, all the claims that we are fighting for true federalism and so on—it was all a pretense, all fake again. Because this government (Tinubu’s administration) is trying to centralize everything instead of devolving power to the lower levels.”

“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.

But in his reply to El-Rufai, Onanuga said that the former governor’s claims about Tinubu are “unfounded”.

According to him, El-Rufai’s claims are evident that the plot by him and his associates in the African Democratic Congress (ADC) to unseat Tinubu in 2027 is proving to be unattainable and a mission doomed to fail.

His statement read, “Former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai appears to need some help, especially given his recent unfounded claims and speculations about President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. It is increasingly evident that El-Rufai has recognised the futility of attempts by his associates in his new party to prevent President Tinubu’s likely re-election in 2027. This plot is proving to be unattainable, 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.

“In response, he resorted to spreading further unfounded stories, including the claim that President Tinubu intends to become a “life president” after 2027—a speculation that is baseless and absurd.

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

“Governor Uba Sani may wish to reach out to his predecessor, as El-Rufai could benefit from some professional counselling to steer him away from his recent hallucinations and political fabrications on Tinubu and 2027.” (Channels TV)