Bayo Onanuga, a presidential adviser, has publicly accused former Kaduna State governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, alongside several politicians, of conspiring to unseat President Bola Tinubu ahead of the 2027 elections. Onanuga described the alleged plot as deeply ironic, noting that El-Rufai once acknowledged a single term of four years was insufficient for meaningful national transformation.
Onanuga praised Tinubu’s administration for significant achievements in just two years, contrasting it with what he termed the ineffectiveness of previous governors in Anambra, Rivers, and Kaduna states. “President Tinubu and his team have implemented meaningful changes in our country over the past two years,” Onanuga stated.
Highlighting key economic milestones, he pointed to Nigeria’s foreign reserves reaching a nearly four-year high and the Nigerian stock market adding over N26 trillion in value, with the All Share Index rallying from 53,000 to above 140,000 points. The adviser also underscored fiscal successes, including reduced inflation across four consecutive months, GDP growth by N103.5 trillion, and consistent balance of payment surpluses.
Reforms such as the student loan programme via NELFUND and direct cash transfers to vulnerable Nigerians further demonstrate the administration’s inclusive approach, Onanuga argued. He added that state governments are benefiting from increased federation account inflows, enabling expanded capital projects and job creation. “States and local councils are now getting more money from the centre, allowing them to fund capital projects and create more jobs,” he noted.
Onanuga dismissed calls for Tinubu’s removal as the desperate machinations of politically displaced figures who have lost relevance.
“May they never succeed in their plot against our nation and people,” he declared, warning that El-Rufai’s past remarks would be leveraged politically in upcoming campaigns.
