The Presidency has dismissed growing speculation about President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s political ambitions, insisting the Nigerian leader has no intention of remaining in power beyond 2031.

The clarification followed a stinging allegation from former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, who over the weekend accused Tinubu of plotting to entrench himself in office indefinitely.

In one of his most daring political broadsides, El-Rufai likened Tinubu to Cameroon’s Paul Biya, who has ruled for over four decades. He warned that unless opposition figures such as Atiku Abubakar unite in 2027, Tinubu might attempt to stay in power permanently.

“If we don’t come together and end this Tinubu administration by 2027, Tinubu will try to be our Paul Biya, to be president for life. All the signs are there; this is how Paul Biya started,” El-Rufai said.

But the Presidency swiftly fired back. In a strongly worded statement on Sunday, presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga dismissed the claims as “baseless, absurd, and a desperate attempt to mislead Nigerians.”

Onanuga stressed that Tinubu remains a democrat bound by the constitution. “President Tinubu does not intend to stay in office beyond May 28, 2031, when re-elected in 2027. There is no plan, hidden or otherwise, for tenure elongation. Any suggestion to the contrary is false and malicious,” he said.

He further argued that El-Rufai’s comments reflect frustration, claiming that attempts by the former governor’s political allies to derail Tinubu’s second-term bid had collapsed. Tinubu’s recent warm reception in Kaduna, he added, was proof of his growing northern support and evidence that the “Paul Biya narrative” was mere political mischief.

Analysts say the exchange signals a new phase in the Tinubu–El-Rufai rivalry. While El-Rufai frames Tinubu as showing authoritarian leanings, the Presidency insists Nigeria’s constitution already fixes Tinubu’s final exit date at May 28, 2031, leaving no room for extension.

The clash has nonetheless sparked heated debate among Nigerians, many of whom remain skeptical of political assurances given the country’s history of shifting power dynamics.