Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has warned Nigerians to be alert about the possibility of President Bola Tinubu trying to extend his stay in power beyond the constitutional limit, likening the situation to Cameroon’s President Paul Biya, who has ruled for more than 40 years.
El-Rufai made the remarks on Friday during a solidarity visit by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to Kaduna State. The visit followed a violent incident at the inauguration of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Kaduna, where supporters of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) reportedly attacked El-Rufai.
In his address, El-Rufai expressed deep concern about the current administration’s efforts to centralize power and suppress opposition voices, which he says threatens Nigeria’s democracy.
“It’s a disgrace for people to behave the way they are behaving, it means all the years we were for democracy and NADECO was all fake, a pretense,” El-Rufai said. NADECO, the National Democratic Coalition, was a pro-democracy group active during Nigeria’s military rule in the 1990s.
El-Rufai pointed to the concentration of power in the presidency under Tinubu’s government as a serious danger to Nigeria’s federal system and democratic values. “This government is trying to centralize everything instead of devolving powers to the lower levels,” he said.
Warning of a long-term rule, El-Rufai said, “If we don’t come together to end this Tinubu administration in 2027, Tinubu will try to be our Paul Biya, he would be president for life. All the signs are there; this is how Paul Biya started.”
Paul Biya has been the President of Cameroon since 1982, making him one of Africa’s longest-serving leaders. His rule has been marked by accusations of authoritarianism and suppression of opposition.
El-Rufai urged former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to use his experience in governance to help Nigerians resist the current trend. “You are our leader and you have experience in democratic governance. When you and Obasanjo were in power, no man was imprisoned because he had a different political reason,” he said, referring to former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
He noted that even President Muhammadu Buhari, with his military background, did not imprison people over political differences as he claimed is now happening under the APC government. “Here we are facing full-fledged oppression,” El-Rufai said.
The former governor went further to describe the APC administration as worse than any military regime Nigeria has seen. “This is worse than any military regime we’ve ever had,” he declared.
El-Rufai praised Atiku’s call for unity among Nigerians in facing the current government. “I think the people of Nigeria have made up their mind that this government, APC, must go,” he said, stressing the need for collective action before the 2027 presidential election.
The APC, Nigeria’s ruling party since 2015, has faced increasing criticism from opposition leaders and civil society groups who accuse it of undermining democratic institutions and stifling dissent.
Nigeria returned to democratic rule in 1999 after decades of military dictatorship. Since then, power has regularly changed hands through elections, but concerns about authoritarian tendencies and power centralization have grown in recent years.
El-Rufai’s warning highlights a broader fear that without strong resistance, Nigeria’s democracy could suffer the same fate as Cameroon’s, where opposition parties and civil society have been marginalized under Biya’s long rule.
