Former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has accused President Bola Tinubu’s administration of drifting towards authoritarianism. He compared Tinubu’s style of governance to that of Cameroon’s long-ruling leader, Paul Biya.
El-Rufai made the remarks on Saturday while receiving former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who visited him in Kaduna to show solidarity after an alleged attack on him by “APC sponsored thugs” during the launch of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
According to El-Rufai, Tinubu’s government is betraying democratic values by centralizing power instead of promoting federalism.
“This government is trying to centralize everything instead of devolving power. All the talk about fighting for democracy and true federalism has turned out to be fake,” he said.
He warned that if Nigerians fail to unite and vote Tinubu out in 2027, the president might attempt to cling to power like Paul Biya.
“If we don’t come together and end this administration in 2027, Tinubu will try to be our Paul Biya. All the signs are already there,” he added.
El-Rufai praised Atiku’s experience in democratic struggles and urged him to lead the opposition in uniting against the ruling APC.
In response, Atiku commended El-Rufai’s boldness and stressed the need for opposition leaders to remain focused.
“We must come together to ensure this doesn’t continue during the remaining part of this administration, and then vote them out in 2027 not by any other means but through the ballot box,” Atiku said.
