The former governor of Kaduna state, has cautioned that President Bola Tinubu may attempt to extend his stay in power like Cameroon’s Paul Biya if Nigerians do not unite against him in the 2027 elections.
El-Rufai issued the warning on Saturday evening while hosting former vice-president Atiku Abubakar, who visited him in solidarity after what he described as an attack by “APC-sponsored thugs” during the inauguration of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Kaduna.
“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.
He criticised the Tinubu-led government as a “disgrace” to democracy, alleging that it is concentrating power at the centre instead of deepening federalism.
“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 pretence, all fake again. Because this government (Tinubu’s administration) is trying to centralize everything instead of devolving power to the lower levels,” he said.
El-Rufai also called on Atiku to use his experience in opposition politics and democratic struggles to rally forces against Tinubu ahead of 2027.
“You (Atiku) are our leader, you have done this fight before, you have fought the military, you have experience in democratic governance. And when you and Obasanjo were in charge of this country, no one was being harassed because he had a different political view, never, not once,” he said.
“Even President Buhari, with his military background, never did that, and here we are facing full-fledged civilians, but they are worse than any military regime we’ve ever had. Your call that we must unite is a timely one.
“I think the people of Nigeria have made up their minds that APC must be voted out. Nigerians are looking forward to his (Tinubu’s) ouster.
“We must provide the leadership and the unity of purpose that we have talked about, and then I am sure with your leadership, forbearance and diplomatic skills of bringing people together, I am sure we will reach the promised land.”
In his response, Atiku commended el-Rufai’s boldness and urged opposition leaders to remain focused on checking Tinubu’s government and ensuring his removal through the ballot box.