The presidency has dismissed calls for the removal of President Bola Tinubu, insisting that those behind the campaign are driven by desperation rather than patriotism.
Special Adviser to the President on Media and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, described them as “power-hungry politicians” who feel politically displaced. His remarks came in reaction to comments by former Kaduna State governor Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, who claimed Tinubu would not secure re-election in 2027.
El-Rufai, during a Sunday night interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today, argued that Tinubu had no clear path to victory in 2027. He predicted that the election could go into a runoff and said the president would likely place third.
The former governor also recalled Tinubu’s failure to deliver Lagos State in the last general election. He advised the president to “invite former President Goodluck Jonathan for a chat” on how incumbents can lose power despite state resources.
Presidency Replies El-Rufai
In a statement on his X handle yesterday, Onanuga accused El-Rufai of double standards. He noted that the former governor once admitted that four years was not enough for any leader to deliver meaningful change, yet now leads efforts to oust Tinubu only two years into his tenure.
“Nasir El-Rufai confesses that four years is not enough for a political officeholder to make meaningful changes. Yet he is at the forefront of the gang of political desperados plotting President Tinubu’s ouster just two years into his tenure. What a contradiction!” Onanuga wrote.
He said Tinubu’s government had recorded progress in economic reforms, foreign reserves, the stock market, and inflation control.
Achievements in Two Years
According to Onanuga, the harmonisation of the exchange rate and growth in the stock market have boosted investor confidence. He said the All-Share Index had risen from 53,000 points to more than 140,000, creating over N26 trillion in wealth.
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He also listed reforms in education and social welfare, including the student loan scheme managed by NELFUND and cash transfers to vulnerable households.
Onanuga said states and local governments were receiving increased allocations, which allowed them to embark on capital projects and create jobs. “The governors said they have never had it so good,” he added.
“Desperation, Not Patriotism”
The presidential aide maintained that those calling for Tinubu’s removal were acting out of selfish interest.
“Yet these power-hungry politicians want the president, who has achieved so much, removed because they have become politically displaced and irrelevant. May they never succeed in their plot against our nation and people,” he said.
Onanuga further warned that El-Rufai’s past statements would be used against him when election campaigns begin. “Please save the video. We shall confront Nasir with it when electioneering starts,” he added.
Rafiyat Sadiq is a political, justice, and human rights reporter with Pinnacle Daily, known for fearless reporting and impactful storytelling. At Pinnacle Daily, she brings clarity and depth to issues shaping governance, democracy, and the protection of citizens’ rights.
