Former Kaduna governor, Nasir El-Rufai said the opposition must unite to chase President Bola Tinubu from power in 2027.
According to him, Tinubu is nursing plans to become “president for life” which can only be truncated if he is not allowed a second term.
He added that Tinubu has been displaying all the signs of a sit-tight president like Cameroonian President Paul Biya, who has been in power since 1982.
El-Rufai stated this when he received a solidarity visit from former Vice President Atiku Abubakar in his residence on Saturday evening.
A video of the visit was shared on Facebook.
El-Rufai said Tinubu’s avowed commitment to democracy and true federalism were “all fake”.
He said, “Honestly to me, it’s a disgrace for people to behave the way they like.
“So it means that all the years of saying we are for democracy, NADECO, it was all pretence, fake.
“And all the claims that we’re fighting for true federalism and so on is all fake again because this government is trying to centralise everything instead of devolving power to the lower levels.
“But the sum total of this is that we’re facing an evil of such 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 become our Paul Biya, our president for life.
“All the signs are there. This is how Paul Biya started.
“So, we don’t have a choice.”
Reacting, Atiku Abubakar described the activities of the All Progressives Congress-led government of President Bola Tinubu as the greatest threat to democracy since 1999.
He accused the Tinubu administration of turning into a full dictatorship, muscling the opposition and stifling dissent.
The 2023 presidential candidate of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said the recent attack on El-Rufai during the inauguration of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Kaduna State allegedly by APC thugs portends grave danger for the nation’s democracy.
In a Facebook post after the visit, Atiku said, “This evening, I paid a solidarity visit to former Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, over his attack by APC-sponsored thugs at the recent inauguration of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Kaduna State.
“I reiterated that the activities of the Tinubu-led APC administration poses the greatest risk to our democracy since the return of democratic governance.
“It is concerning that this administration has turned into a full-blown dictatorship.
“We resolved to harmonise our strengths and stand united in our resolve to rescue Nigeria.
“The battle to save our democracy and provide a viable alternative platform that will enthrone purposeful governance is a response to the wishes and aspirations of Nigerians who are fed up with the incompetent and clueless Tinubu government.”
