El-Rufai’s Third Term Theatrics And Obasanjo’s Denial

Recently, erstwhile Kaduna State politician Mallam Nasir El-Rufai called connected erstwhile Vice President Atiku Abubakar to rally Nigerians to oust President Bola Ahmed Tinubu successful 2027, claiming that Tinubu wants to marque himself a “life president.”

He alleged that Tinubu’s medication was tilting towards authoritarianism, stressing that determination were glaring signs that the president wants to beryllium tight.

My absorption to El-Rufai’s latest governmental theatrics? This is hopeless absorption authorities astatine its worst, and the timing couldn’t beryllium much suspicious.

El-Rufai made these comments during Atiku’s solidarity sojourn pursuing a caller onslaught connected immoderate ADC leaders successful Kaduna. But let’s analyse the messenger earlier we bargain the message.

Special Adviser to the President connected Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, didn’t discarded clip successful slamming El-Rufai, describing his speculation arsenic baseless.

Onanuga suggested that El-Rufai had been unsettled by the monolithic reception Tinubu received successful Kaduna, which contradicted his communicative that the North had abandoned the President.

“Former Governor El-Rufai appears to request immoderate help, particularly fixed his caller unfounded claims and speculations astir President Tinubu,” Onanuga wrote, adding that El-Rufai mightiness payment from “professional counselling” to steer him distant from “political fabrications and absurd speculations.”

Onanuga’s effect was savage but necessary. When politicians commencement making chaotic allegations without evidence, they merit to beryllium called retired publicly.

The timing of El-Rufai’s accusations is peculiarly suspect. We’re inactive successful 2025, and he’s already talking astir the 2027 elections portion claiming Tinubu wants to beryllium a beingness president. If you’re going to marque specified superior allegations, astatine slightest hold until there’s immoderate grounds to enactment your claims.

What circumstantial actions has Tinubu taken that suggest authoritarian tendencies oregon plans to widen his tenure? Has helium attempted to manipulate the Constitution? Has helium tried to destruct word limits? El-Rufai provided nary factual evidence, conscionable vague insinuations designed to make fear.

This smells similar pre-emptive absorption authorities – creating a communicative earlier there’s immoderate ground for it. It’s the governmental equivalent of crying wolf, and it cheapens morganatic concerns astir antiauthoritarian governance.

As this play was unfolding, erstwhile President Olusegun Obasanjo chose the aforesaid week to refute long-standing claims that helium attempted to widen his presidency beyond 2 terms. Speaking astatine the ideology dialog hosted by the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation successful Ghana, Obasanjo insisted helium ne'er sought specified a move.

“I’m not a fool. If I wanted a 3rd term, I cognize however to spell astir it. And determination is nary Nigerian dormant oregon live that would accidental I called him and told him I wanted a 3rd term,” Obasanjo said.

But governmental activistic and erstwhile national lawmaker Dr. Usman Bugaje instantly countered Obasanjo’s denial, insisting that the ex-president “did everything wrong his power” to widen his enactment successful office.

“I tin corroborate to you that Obasanjo looked for a 3rd term. He did everything that helium could wrong his powerfulness to get a 3rd term, but helium failed to bash so,” Bugaje said, adding that lawmakers were threatened by Obasanjo’s agents during that period.

Between Obasanjo’s categorical denial and Bugaje’s elaborate accusations, who should we believe? The grounds suggests Bugaje is telling the truth. Too galore radical person corroborated the third-term docket communicative for it to beryllium a specified fabrication.

The irony of these 2 stories breaking simultaneously is not mislaid connected me. While El-Rufai is making unsubstantiated allegations astir Tinubu’s expected third-term plans, we’re simultaneously relitigating Obasanjo’s existent third-term effort from 2006. The opposition is instructive.

With Obasanjo, we had factual grounds – law amendment bills, legislative maneuvers, documented attempts to alteration word limits. With Tinubu, we person thing but El-Rufai’s speculation and governmental desperation.

Obasanjo’s denial rings hollow due to the fact that excessively galore credible witnesses person testified astir his third-term ambitions. Bugaje recalled however Senator Victor Lar was forced into hiding earlier the decisive gathering to defy the third-term bid. These are not vague allegations but specific, documented incidents.

“Those radical who really distributed the wealth and threatened america are alive. Those who received the wealth are alive. Those who refused to person the wealth are alive,” Bugaje stressed. This is evidence, not speculation.

The third-term contention dominated Nigeria’s governmental spa...