Former Governor of Kaduna State and ex-Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, has declared that he harbors no ambition to contest the 2027 presidential election, stating that his only desire is to see the administration of President Bola Tinubu removed from power.
In a no-holds-barred interview on Arise News, El-Rufai described Tinubu’s administration as an “evil” and a “tragedy,” urging Nigerians to unite behind a credible political alternative that can rescue the country from what he called “national decline.”
“You’ve mentioned my name. I have no ambition,” El-Rufai said when asked if he would step aside for other prominent opposition figures such as Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, or Rotimi Amaechi.
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“I just feel that having contributed to bringing about this tragedy to Nigeria by contributing to the emergence of Tinubu as president, I should contribute in my last lap because I’m 65, I should be retiring towards removing this evil that I believe will destroy Nigeria if left unchecked.”
El-Rufai further revealed that internal polling conducted by stakeholders in the opposition movement shows a staggering 91% disapproval rating for the Tinubu administration.
“We have polled it. There is 91% disapproval of this administration across the country,” he said. “91% disapproval is the worst in Nigeria’s history.”
According to him, Nigerians are no longer interested in the All Progressives Congress (APC) and are desperate for a credible political platform capable of challenging the status quo.
The former governor confirmed his willingness to align with any political party that emerges as the consensus vehicle for change in 2027.
“I will go with whatever party the collective consensus decides is going to be the vehicle to remove Tinubu,” he said.
He added that it is time for politicians to put aside personal ambitions and present a united front for national salvation: “That’s the key thing — giving Nigerians a credible alternative to this failure of a government.”
Once a key ally in Tinubu’s rise to the presidency in 2023, El-Rufai has since left the APC and joined the Social Democratic Party (SDP). He is now seen as a pivotal figure in the emerging anti-Tinubu coalition, which is reportedly in talks with various opposition leaders and former political rivals to form a grand alliance for the 2027 general elections.
