₦airaland Forum

Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has drawn a controversial comparison between Nigeria’s current political trajectory and that of Cameroon under long-serving President Paul Biya, warning that unless Nigerians act decisively in the 2027 election, President Bola Tinubu could emulate Biya’s decades-long tenure.

El-Rufai made the remarks during a solidarity visit from former Vice President Atiku Abubakar on Friday evening, following an incident in which APC-aligned supporters reportedly attacked him at the inauguration of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Kaduna State.

Addressing the threats he sees in the current administration, El-Rufai said, “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, all the claims we are fighting for, true federalism is all fake.”

He warned that the concentration of power at the center under the Tinubu administration could pave the way for a prolonged presidency.

“This government is trying to centralize everything instead of devolving powers to the lower levels but the sum total of this is that we are facing an evil of a large proportion in the history of this country that 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,” El-Rufai said.

The former governor called on Atiku to leverage his experience in governance to guide Nigerians.

“You are our leader and you have experience in democratic governance. When you and Obasanjo were in power, no man has been imprisoned because he had a different political reason, even Buhari with his military background never did that, but here we are facing full-fledged oppression,” he added.

El-Rufai also characterized the current APC administration as exceeding the repression of past military regimes.

“This is worse than any military regime we’ve ever had. Your call that we must unite is a healthy one. I think the people of Nigerians have made up their mind that this government, APC, must go,” he stated, emphasizing the urgency of collective action ahead of the next presidential election.

By invoking Paul Biya, who has maintained power in Cameroon for over four decades, El-Rufai positioned his warning as a cautionary tale about the risks of entrenched leadership and the perceived erosion of democratic norms in Nigeria.

“This government is trying to centralize everything instead of devolving powers to the lower levels but the sum total of this is that we are facing an evil of a large proportion in the history of this country that if we don’t come together to end this Tinubu administration in 2027, Tinubu will try to be our Paul Biya

Tinubu will end up as Nigeria’s economic reformer – Dogara
17th September 2025

Former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, has hailed President Bola Tinubu’s sweeping tax reforms as the most ambitious overhaul of Nigeria’s fiscal framework in decades, predicting that the President will be remembered as the country’s foremost economic reformer.

Dogara made the remarks on Tuesday while delivering the maiden Distinguished Parliamentarian Lecture organised by the House of Representatives Press Corps at the National Assembly Complex, Abuja.

His lecture, titled “Navigating Tax Reform in Nigeria: Insights on President Tinubu’s Policies”, examined the origins, scope, and expected impact of the reforms encapsulated in the Nigeria Tax Act 2025 and related legislation.

He noted that Tinubu inherited a troubled economy riddled with “economic debris,” including excessive deficit financing through Ways and Means, dual exchange rates that enriched a few at the expense of many, and crude oil forward sales tied to foreign loans.

seunmsg:
In 2023, they accused Tinubu of trying to Islamize the country with the Muslim/Muslim ticket. In 2025, the nee scare mongering tactics they are deploying is president for life.

For proper context, no president since 1999 has done so well in devolving power to the sub-nationals more than president Bola Tinubu. Mr. President has passionately pushed for local government autonomy even when almost all governors are against him. As part of that push, there is no single local government in Nigeria today that is being administered by appointed caretakers.


This same president has devolved power to the states to allow them generate and distribute electricity. Today, serious state governors can now generate and distribute electricity within their states without the need to first send the power to the national grid for national distribution. Abia state for example now generates power in Aba and power is distributed strictly within Aba environs.

State Police is another issue Mr. President has pushed for relentlessly since 2023. Despite the opposition from Fulani people like El-Rufai for obvious reasons, the president has not relented in pushing for revolution of policing powers to the state.

Finally, we all know the president that has done so well in pushing huge allocations to state governments. No president in history has supported states and local governments in terms of funding like the Tinubu administration.

So, what’s all the lie all about Mr. Nasir El-Rufai? Is it now a crime for a president of southern origin to serve for two terms in peace?

seunmsg:
In 2023, they accused Tinubu of trying to Islamize the country with the Muslim/Muslim ticket. In 2025, the new scaremongering tactics they are deploying is “president for life”. They failed in 2023, they will fail again in 2027.

For proper context, no president since 1999 has done so well in devolving power to the sub-nationals more than president Bola Tinubu. Mr. President has passionately pushed for local government autonomy even when almost all governors are against him. As part of that push, there is no single local government in Nigeria today that is being administered by appointed caretakers.


This same president has devolved power to the states to allow them generate and distribute electricity. Today, serious state governors can now generate and distribute electricity within their states without the need to first send the power to the national grid for national distribution. Abia state for example now generates power in Aba and power is distributed strictly within Aba environs.

State Police is another issue Mr. President has pushed for relentlessly since 2023. Despite the opposition from Fulani people like El-Rufai for obvious reasons, the president has not relented in pushing for revolution of policing powers to the state.

Finally, we all know the president that has done so well in pushing huge allocations to state governments. No president in history has supported states and local governments in terms of funding like the Tinubu administration. So, what’s all the lie all about Mr. Nasir El-Rufai?

CoronaVirusPro:
El-Rufai should grow up!

It’s not a time for baseless accusation.

His Excellency, President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu (GCFR) is a front runner in the struggle and quest for democracy and would be the last to do such.

TradeSunMoore:
One week, one rubbish. This short bigot should stop spewing rubbish. Nobody can rule for 3 terms in Nigeria. There is a difference between Nigeria and Cameron.

AMINDA:
The signs are indeed there for the discerning. The infiltration of all political parties, the capture of the legislative and judiciary arm and the hounding of all opposition figures. Tinubu is already ruling Nigeria like a monarch without recourse to due process and rule of law. Yesterday, he took a knee-jerk decision appointing all 4 children of the deceased Head of Service into government positions.

Thankfully we will never find out because Nigerians will vote out Tinubu come 2027.

seunmsg:
You are only angry because the children of the former head of service of FCT are not Fulanis. If they were Fulanis, I can bet you won’t be here making an issue out of such an empathic gesture.

Again, it’s time to tell folks like you and El-Rufai that this country doesn’t belong to the Fulanis. This country belongs to all Nigerians and all of us will benefit from the country.

The rest of us reasonable Nigerians from north and south will ensure Tinubu is re-elected and hegemonists like Atiku and El-Rufai are retired to political obscurity after 2027.

AMINDA:
Who do you think you're fooling with all the unity begging? The country belongs to all of us but Tinubu has cornered all appointments and projects to Lagos, not even the entire Southwest. Nevermind the Fulanis, list out the proportion of appointments and projects that Tinubu has given to the Southsouth and Southeast to reflect Southern Solidarity. Monkey dey work, baboon dey chop. Who is more hegemonic than a man that ruled Lagos 20 years ago and has refused to let go? A shocker await you all come 2027.

With a chokehold on Lagos, a daughter as Iyaloja-general and a son with all advertising rights in Lagos, Tinubu still believes Nigeria owes himself and his wife (an ex-senator) a lot. What manner of greed!

simpleseyi:
Can you sustain this your crying and wailing till 2027? Crying go plenty for 2027 oooooo, because we go humiliate you all again as we did in 2015, 2019 and 2023

AMINDA:
As long as it bothers you and make you quote me on every thread, then yes, I can. I don't pay mind to your own posts, by the way.