A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Niger State, Jonathan Vatsa, has taken a swipe at former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai over his recent remark suggesting that President Bola Tinubu could become a “life president” if re-elected in 2027.
Speaking in Minna, Vatsa dismissed the statement as the outburst of a “wounded lion” who has lost political relevance. He attributed El-Rufai’s comments to disappointment over being excluded from President Tinubu’s cabinet, claiming it had left him “mentally disorganized.”
Vatsa, a former Commissioner for Information, also criticized El-Rufai’s tenure as Kaduna governor, accusing him of deepening ethnic and religious divisions and presiding over widespread insecurity.
“The whole world saw how El-Rufai unleashed bandits and terrorists against the Southern Kaduna people for eight years. Blood flowed freely in Kaduna State under him as governor,” Vatsa alleged.
He further argued that El-Rufai’s political influence has waned, noting that the APC lost the last presidential election in Kaduna State during his leadership. “Any political party that El-Rufai belongs to will lose elections in Kaduna and in the country in general. He misruled the state and the people have not forgiven him,” he said.
Advising the former governor to “retire quietly from politics,” Vatsa insisted that national unity must take precedence over regional ambitions. He also downplayed fears about Tinubu’s possible re-election, stressing that the South is expected to complete its eight-year tenure before power shifts to the North in 2031.
