The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, has tackled former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, over remarks suggesting President Bola Ahmed Tinubu harboured plans to extend his stay in office beyond constitutional limits.
Onanuga, writing on his official X handle, dismissed El-Rufai’s claim as baseless and desperate, adding that the ex-governor was only seeking relevance after losing political ground.
The row comes barely days after President Tinubu’s visit to Kaduna, where he received a massive reception from party faithful and traditional rulers. Analysts say the large turnout in the North contradicted El-Rufai’s earlier claim that northern Nigeria had abandoned the President.
Onanuga suggested that the overwhelming support shown in Kaduna unsettled the former governor, who recently aligned with a new political party.
‘Tinubu is a Democrat, Not a Dictator’
Onanuga stressed that President Tinubu remained committed to democratic principles and would not exceed the two-term limit set by the Nigerian Constitution.
“Contrary to El-Rufai’s hallucinations, President Tinubu will leave office on May 28, 2031, if re-elected in 2027,” he wrote.
The presidential aide also called on Governor Uba Sani to intervene, suggesting that El-Rufai may need “professional counselling” to avoid what he described as “political fabrications and absurd speculations.”
