Onanuga mocks El-Rufai over anti-Tinubu comment, says ex- Kaduna governor needs help

By Musa Baba Adamu with agency report

The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, has mocked former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai over his recent criticism of the president.
Mr El-Rufai had on Saturday alleged that the Tinubu administration was worse than all previous military dictatorships, accusing the president of plotting to perpetuate himself in office like Cameroon’s Paul Biya.
He made the remarks when he hosted former Vice President Atiku Abubakar during a solidarity visit following a recent attack on ADC supporters in Kaduna.
Reacting in a Facebook post, Mr Onanuga dismissed the claims as baseless, stressing that President Tinubu remains committed to democratic principles.
“Former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai appears to need some help, especially given his recent unfounded claims and speculations about President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” he wrote.
Mr Onanuga argued that the former governor was rattled by the rousing reception Tinubu received during his visit to Kaduna last week, insisting that support for the president in the North remained strong.
“It is increasingly evident that El-Rufai has recognised the futility of attempts by his associates in his new party to prevent President Tinubu’s likely re-election in 2027. This plot is doomed to fail,” he added.
He also described El-Rufai’s allegation that Tinubu was planning to be a “life president” as “baseless and absurd,” stressing that the president had no intention of staying in office beyond May 28, 2031, if re-elected in 2027.
Mr Onanuga further suggested that Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani should intervene with his predecessor, saying El-Rufai “could benefit from some professional counselling to steer him away from his recent hallucinations and political fabrications.”