Real reason Tinubu can’t win 2027 election – El-Rufai

Nasir El-Rufai, the former Governor of Kaduna State and a leading member of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), has stated that President Bola Tinubu is unlikely to succeed in his bid for re-election in 2027.

In an interview posted on X (formerly known as Twitter), El-Rufai dismissed the idea of a second term for the president, stating that only individuals out of touch with the country’s realities would think otherwise.

El-Rufai expressed that anyone who believes President Bola Tinubu can secure re-election is out of touch with the reality in Nigeria, as it is an impossibility.

The former influential member of the APC, who had earlier supported Tinubu’s presidential campaign in 2023, asserted that the ruling party has lost the trust of everyday Nigerians.

He believes that increasing dissatisfaction with the administration’s policies has created an opportunity for even the weakest opposition to succeed in elections.

“He added that he doesn’t see a pathway for him.”

El-Rufai minimized the significance of the surge in defections to the APC, suggesting that many new members are motivated by personal benefits or apprehension about anti-corruption investigations.

“It is the opportunistic and ambitious politicians, along with those seeking financial gain, contracts, appointments, or positions of power who are switching allegiances,” he stated. “Another group includes individuals defecting due to fear of potential pressure from the EFCC or ICPC because they might have engaged in questionable activities.”

He stressed that the SDP and its allied political coalition are concentrating not on politicians, but on engaging Nigerian voters who feel disappointed by the current leadership.

He stated, “This is the aim of the SDP and our political coalition. We anticipate that the 2027 elections will be a contest between the APC and Nigerians.”

El-Rufai is joining forces with a burgeoning coalition that features notable individuals like former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi and ex-Vice President Atiku Abubakar. Their collective aim is to contest against President Tinubu in the upcoming general election, hoping to unseat him through democratic means.