Former Commissioner for Information, Culture, and Tourism in Niger State and senior APC chieftain, Jonathan Vatsa, has criticized former Kaduna State Governor Mallam Nasiru El-Rufai over his recent claim that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu might attempt to make himself “life president” if re-elected in 2027.
Speaking in Minna on Tuesday, Vatsa described the comment as “the ranting of a wounded lion,” asserting that Nigerians should disregard El-Rufai’s statement.
“El-Rufai is acting like a wounded lion after losing out on a ministerial appointment under President Tinubu,” Vatsa said. “No Nigerian takes him seriously anymore, given his political missteps that cost him a place in the cabinet.”
Vatsa went on to criticize El-Rufai’s eight-year tenure as Kaduna Governor, accusing him of fostering ethnic and religious divisions and overseeing a period of unprecedented violence in the state.
“The El-Rufai era witnessed the highest rate of bloodshed in Kaduna’s history. Bandits and terrorists were unleashed against southern Kaduna, and people have not forgiven him. Any party he is involved in risks losing elections in Kaduna and across the country,” Vatsa said.
The former APC publicity secretary argued that El-Rufai’s political relevance has waned, urging him to quietly retire:
“Even as sitting governor, APC lost the last presidential election in Kaduna State under him. That shows his irrelevance politically, even in his own backyard.”
Vatsa also dismissed the “life president” narrative as baseless, emphasizing the party’s commitment to zoning agreements:
“This propaganda will not stop President Tinubu from being re-elected in 2027. The south must complete its eight-year tenure before power returns to the north in 2031. Agreements—whether written or verbal—must be respected. The unity of this country is more important than selfish regional interests.”
He concluded that had El-Rufai been included in President Tinubu’s ministerial team, such “campaigns of calumny and propaganda” would likely not have emerged, labeling El-Rufai’s remarks as the behavior of “a sore loser.”