Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir el-Rufai, has said President Bola Tinubu would need nothing short of a miracle to win re-election in 2027, given the level of dissatisfaction among Nigerians over the current state of the country.
Speaking during an interview on Arise Television’s Prime Time, el-Rufai urged citizens to reflect on the impact of Tinubu’s leadership since taking office on May 29, 2023. He noted that the decision on whether the president deserves a second term rests squarely with the people based on their own personal experiences.
“We have to ask the people to make up their minds. Do you like what is happening? This is just two years. If your life has gotten better since Tinubu was sworn in, fine, but if not, why not give some other people a chance?” he said.
The former minister disclosed that a series of opinion polls conducted by his team across the country showed widespread disapproval of Tinubu’s government. He said the results pointed to a 91 percent disapproval rating in parts of the South-East and the North.
“We have done some polling in many parts of the country, particularly in the south-east and the north. President Tinubu has a 91 percent disapproval rating. Even in Lagos, he has a 78 percent disapproval rating,” el-Rufai stated.
He added that although the president recorded a slightly better performance in Ondo and Ekiti States, both in the South-West, his approval rating still fell short of the 50 percent mark.
“This is a scientific poll. In some states in the south-west, such as Ondo and Ekiti, he is doing somewhat better than a 78 percent disapproval rating, but nowhere is he doing better than 50 percent, even in the south-west,” he said.
El-Rufai also accused the administration of failure in critical areas such as economic management, security, and policy clarity. According to him, Tinubu’s government has not offered clear direction in trade, industrial, or investment policies, while the general state of the economy and safety of the country has worsened.
“The guy (Tinubu) is gone; he has performed miserably. The economy has tanked, the security architecture has failed, there are no clear trade, industrial and investment policies, and everything is going wrong,” he said.
He also raised concerns over the government’s handling of public funds, saying the increase in revenue collection has not translated to visible results on ground.
“They are raising lots of revenues, but we don’t know where the revenues are going because there are no results,” el-Rufai claimed.
El-Rufai is among the political figures reportedly forming a coalition aimed at unseating Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the next presidential election. Others said to be part of the emerging alliance include former Vice President Atiku Abubakar; former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi; and Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s presidential candidate in 2023
