Runoff: El-Rufai Speaks on Why Tinubu Will Not Be in the Ballot in 2027 Election
- Former Kaduna state governor Nasir el-Rufai has predicted that President Bola Tinubu would not secure a second term in the 2027 presidential election
- Speaking on Channels Television, El-Rufai claimed Tinubu would likely finish third and miss out on a potential runoff
- He urged reflection on the 2015 election, warning that institutional power and wealth may not guarantee victory
Former Kaduna state governor Nasir el-Rufai has cast doubt on President Bola Tinubu’s chances in the upcoming 2027 presidential election, asserting that the incumbent leader would, at best, finish third.
Speaking during an appearance on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, El-Rufai suggested that the election might not be decided in the first round, and predicted that Tinubu would not make it to the runoff.
Source: Twitter
El-Rufai, who was once a prominent campaigner for Tinubu, said the president’s current political trajectory lacked a viable path to victory.
“I was governor of Kaduna state; I was one of Bola Tinubu’s biggest campaigners, but I couldn’t deliver the state to him,” he said, adding, “Bola Tinubu himself couldn’t win his state with his own governor in place. So, these things are not as theoretical as people want them to be.”
El-Rufai says Tinubu has “no pathway to win”
The former governor claimed to have conducted extensive political analysis, concluding that Tinubu’s chances of securing a second term were slim.
“If you want to engage in self-delusion, you are free to do so. I will not tell you how we are going to win, but I tell you very clearly — the worst-case scenario in the 2027 elections is that no winner will emerge in the first round,” he said.
“We may have to go for a runoff, and Bola Tinubu will not be on the ballot for the runoff, because he will, at best, be third in the election,” el-Rufai continued. “He has no pathway to win. I have done the maths, I have done the analysis; he cannot — he will, at best, be third.”
El-Rufai speaks on Tinubu’s political strategy
El-Rufai also drew parallels between Tinubu’s current position and that of former President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015, suggesting that institutional control and financial resources may not guarantee electoral success.
“But he can deceive himself; he may think, oh, you know, I have money, because they have taken all the money in the country, I have INEC, I have the police, I have the army. You know what, President Tinubu, invite ex-President Goodluck Jonathan for a chat, and ask him if he didn’t have all this in 2015, and we got him out. Is the case still the same? Similar to 2015? It’s worse.”
He further challenged the notion of Tinubu’s invincibility at the polls. “It’s like those who say Tinubu has never lost an election. That can be contested, but it’s okay. He’s a political strategist, he’s this, he’s that. Wait.”
El-Rufai urges reflection ahead of 2027
In closing, el-Rufai advised introspection and historical reflection as the nation approaches another electoral cycle.
“I naturally have said, if you want to learn some lessons, invite ex-President Goodluck Jonathan for a chat over coffee, and ask him what happened in 2015. That’s all,” he said.
Source: Twitter
El-Rufai fires fresh shot at critics
Legit.ng earlier reported that the immediate past governor of Kaduna state, Nasir El-Rufai, has said he is unperturbed by critics who describe him as a fundamentalist.
El-Rufai, who spoke in an interview on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, August 31, dismissed such views, insisting that those who hold them neither know him personally nor have worked with him.
Proofreading by James Ojo, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
