ADC: Tinubu has done enough damage — he should leave in 2027

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has taken a swipe at the presidency over its claim that President Bola Tinubu has no plans to stay in office beyond 2031.

The opposition party described the remarks as “presumptuous and undemocratic”, insisting Tinubu’s mandate ends in 2027.

The ADC was reacting to remarks by the presidency, which dismissed warnings by Nasir el-Rufai, former governor of Kaduna, that Tinubu could attempt to cling to power like Cameroon’s Paul Biya.

The former Kaduna governor had said Nigerians must unite in 2027 to stop Tinubu from attempting a life presidency.

Biya, 92, has ruled Cameroon since 1982 and has declared interest in re-election, extending his 43 years in power.

But Bayo Onanuga, special adviser on information and strategy to Tinubu, in a rebuttal, said el-Rufai was wide of the mark in his remarks about the presidency.

“Instead, he (el-Rufai) resorted to spreading further unfounded stories, including the claim that President Tinubu intends to become a ‘life president’ after 2027 — a speculation that is baseless and absurd,” Onanuga wrote.

“President Tinubu is a democrat who does not intend to stay in office beyond May 28, 2031, when re-elected in 2027.”

‘TINUBU HAS NOT EARNED A SECOND TERM’

In a statement on Tuesday, Bolaji Abdullahi, ADC spokesperson, described the presidency’s response as “desperate”, noting that it only confirmed what Nigerians already suspected.

“That the president is already speaking of remaining in office till 2031 betrays a mindset that dismisses re-election as a mere formality,” the statement reads.

“Re-election is not automatic, and President Tinubu has not earned a second term. If anything, in two short years, he has shown Nigeria what he is capable of doing.

“He has divided the country like no other president before him and sent millions deeper into poverty.”

Abdullahi said insecurity under Tinubu has become “a national trauma”, noting that bandits and terrorists operate with impunity.

“Under his watch, national security has degenerated into a cruel joke,” it said. “Citizens are kidnapped in broad daylight, rural communities are now warzones, and the government has neither the will nor the capacity to stop it,” he said.

On the economy, Abdullahi said the “naira has collapsed, inflation is out of control, and jobs are disappearing”.

“Nigerians are now poorer, hungrier, and angrier than they were before Tinubu took office,” the ADC spokesperson added.

He also accused the government of trampling on human rights, ignoring court orders, harassing journalists, and brutalising protesters.

“The president once claimed to be a democrat. Today, he presides over a system that is authoritarian in tone, arrogant in posture, and hostile to accountability,” he said.

Abdullahi alleged that fiscal management under Tinubu is riddled with secrecy, budget padding, and “inexplicable loans”, while the power sector remains “comatose despite billions spent”.

“Given this comprehensive failure, it is not only insensitive but downright dangerous for anyone in the Tinubu presidency to speak so glibly of a second term,” he said.

“The president should not be plotting to stay. He should be preparing to leave. He has done enough damage.”

Abdullahi also warned that Tinubu’s political style in Lagos — where he has allegedly handpicked governors and top officials since 2007 — is now being replicated nationally.

“But Nigeria is not Lagos; Nigerians are watching, and come 2027, it won’t be APC versus ADC; it will be APC versus the Nigerian people,” he added.