Ex-Gov El-Rufai Declares Tinubu’s Government Will Return To “Lagoon” Where It Came From By 2027

Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai has predicted that President Bola Tinubu’s government will leave office in 2027, describing the administration as temporary.

Speaking on Daily Trust Television’s “30 minutes with El-Rufai” on Tuesday, he discussed the African Democratic Congress (ADC)’s preparations ahead of the next elections.

On the likely outcome for the Tinubu administration, El-Rufai expressed certainty that it will not retain power: “But we are doing that. And I assure you that this Tinubu government will go back where it came from, whether it is Lagos or Lagoon Island or wherever. They will go back by the grace of God in 2027.”

He described the current stage of the ADC’s formation, explaining that it is still organising internally: “But this party is not a coalition of several parties. It’s a coalition of individuals. So it is taking time to settle, taking time to form.”

El-Rufai noted that much of the party’s work is happening quietly at the grassroots and may not be visible in the media: “A lot of background work is being done. A lot of outreach at the grassroots is being done, which may not be in the media or may be visible to people.”

He also highlighted support for the party among Nigerians, referencing internal polls: “But I assure you, our party is the preferred party for Nigerians. We have carried out polls that show that very, very clearly and decisively.”

On the ADC’s next steps, he outlined plans for leadership replacement and candidate selection: “And the issues that we have about presidential candidates and candidates and so on will all be resolved in the next few weeks. We have just launched membership registration. That will go very smoothly. As soon as we do that, we’ll do the conferences and conventions to replace the leadership that we inherited. And then the real party will come to the surface. I assure you, Meneer, that our party is working. It is organising quietly, not like APC did noisily in 2014.”

Discussing the party’s campaign strategy, El-Rufai explained how it differs from that of the government due to limited resources: “We are a coalition that is coming together. And unlike the sitting government that is a party of thieves, we are a coalition of the willing. And we don’t have the resources or even a fraction of the resources that they have.

“So the kind of spending on media or social media and optics that you expect, you’ll not see from the ADC for now. But I assure you, as I said, we are approaching this from a different angle. We have a different strategy. We are not going to do business as usual. But I assure you, we are organising, we are planning, we are strategising, and we are going to give Nigerians that credible alternative.”

Finally, he explained the party’s vision for governance, including presenting a manifesto: “We are going to offer Nigerians an ethical government. We’ll provide for them a manifesto that they can relate to, that works for the people. And by the grace of God, that energy, that momentum that you have been waiting for will happen within the next few weeks. By the grace of God.”