Former Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, has declared that President Bola Tinubu cannot be re-elected in the 2027 general election, insisting that Nigerians have lost faith in both the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the current administration.
Speaking in an interview posted on his verified X (formerly Twitter) handle on Thursday, El-Rufai said it is “impossible” for Tinubu to win a second term, stating that anyone who believes otherwise is “living in another country, not Nigeria.”
According to the former minister, “Even the weakest opposition will defeat Tinubu in 2027. I don’t see a pathway for him.”
El-Rufai, now a chieftain of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), said his new political bloc is focused on winning over the Nigerian people, not politicians switching parties for personal gain.
“It is greedy and hungry politicians looking for contracts, positions, and protection from EFCC or ICPC who are defecting to the ruling party,” he said.
El-Rufai, who had supported Tinubu’s election in 2023, is now part of an emerging opposition coalition working to defeat the APC-led government at the polls. The coalition includes prominent figures such as former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and ex-Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi.
He stressed that the real contest in 2027 would be “between the APC and the Nigerian people,” urging voters to reject poor governance and policies that have brought hardship.
El-Rufai’s sharp criticism signals growing cracks within the political class ahead of the 2027 elections and adds to rising public debate over the performance of the Tinubu administration one year into its tenure.
