Former Kaduna governor Nasir El-Rufai says President Tinubu cannot win re-election in 2027, insisting APC has lost public trust

Former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai has declared that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu cannot secure re-election in 2027, insisting that Nigerians have completely lost faith in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

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In a bold interview circulated on X, El-Rufai, now a chieftain of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), said anyone expecting Tinubu to return for a second term is “not living in Nigeria.”

“Anybody that thinks it is possible for President Bola Tinubu to get re-elected is living in another country, not Nigeria. It is impossible,” El-Rufai stated plainly.

Despite ongoing assurances from Tinubu’s government that economic reforms will soon relieve the suffering of citizens, El-Rufai said Nigerians have grown disillusioned with the APC and its leadership.

Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, had recently defended the administration’s policies, claiming during an interview on Channels Television that significant groundwork had been laid for long-term recovery.

But El-Rufai dismissed such claims and accused the APC of mismanaging public trust. He said even the weakest opposition would defeat the ruling party in a fair contest, given the current level of public discontent.

There is no pathway for him. It is greedy and hungry politicians who are defecting to APC—those looking for contracts, appointments, or who fear the EFCC.

“There is no pathway for him,” El-Rufai said, referring to Tinubu. “It is greedy and hungry politicians who are defecting to APC—those looking for contracts, appointments, or who fear the EFCC.”

He added that the emerging coalition being formed around the SDP aims to challenge the APC directly at the grassroots. According to him, the defection of political elites is insignificant when compared to the voice of the electorate.

“We believe that the 2027 elections will be between the APC and Nigerians,” he affirmed.

El-Rufai, once a close ally of Tinubu during the 2023 elections, has since joined forces with opposition leaders, including former Rivers governor Chibuike Amaechi and ex-Vice President Atiku Abubakar.

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Together, they are working to build a formidable alliance to unseat the president through the ballot.