The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, has responded to former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, over his remarks on the 2027 presidential election, affirming that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will serve two full terms before power shifts back to the North in 2031.
Speaking at the APC National Secretariat in Abuja while hosting members of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu Media Centre (PBAT Media Centre) and the Tinubu Northern Youth Forum (TNYF), Ganduje dismissed suggestions of a power shift in 2027, describing them as unrealistic.
“When a Northern leader served for eight years, we insisted that the presidency should go to the South. Now that we have achieved that, and with the hard work and support of Nigerians, President Tinubu will, by God’s grace, complete his second term in 2027. After that, power will return to the North,” Ganduje declared.
His remarks were in response to El-Rufai’s recent statement on his verified X handle, where he warned that the North could withdraw its support for Tinubu in 2027—just as it did with former President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015.
El-Rufai expressed concerns over the APC’s current direction, cautioning that unless the party reaffirms its progressive ideals, it risks losing power by 2031.
“I am naturally inclined to support my party’s reelection in 2027, but as a realist, I have my concerns,” El-Rufai stated. “The current political climate mirrors the circumstances that led to Jonathan’s downfall—where arrogance and disregard for the North played a significant role.”
He recalled that ahead of the 2023 election, he had warned against taking the North’s support for granted, stressing that the region played a decisive role in Tinubu’s victory.
“Less than two years into this administration, the relationship between the North and the presidency is deteriorating, largely due to the actions and statements of certain individuals from Tinubu’s geopolitical zone and ethnic group,” he noted.
El-Rufai cautioned that if such attitudes persist, they could lead to the APC’s defeat in 2027, just as similar miscalculations cost Jonathan the presidency in 2015.