Nasir El-Rufai, the former governor of Kaduna State, has come under heavy fire from the Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for his comments suggesting that President Bola Tinubu is planning to solidify his hold on power by assuming a “life presidency.”
Mogaji Seye Oladejo, the party’s publicity secretary, called the remark “mischievous, reckless, and an affront to Tinubu’s lifelong commitment to democratic principles” in a statement released on Monday.
The President’s significant contribution to Nigeria’s pro-democracy struggle in the 1990s, especially his active participation in the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), was recalled by Oladejo.
He pointed out that Tinubu continuously opposed military tyranny and advocated for the return of civilian authority, even at considerable personal risk.
He claimed that with Tinubu’s history of opposing tenure extensions and defending constitutional order, it was “laughable and shameful” for anyone, particularly El-Rufai, to cast doubt on his democratic credentials.
The Lagos APC emphasized Tinubu’s steadfast commitment to Nigeria’s Constitution and added that strong institutions, a well-established system of checks and balances, and constitutional term limitations all protect the country’s democracy.
