Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai has declared that President Bola Tinubu’s approval has plummeted across the country, declaring that the president would be defeated in the upcoming polls in 2027.
The former FCT minister made the disclosure in a Monday night interview on Arise TV.
Responding to a question on whether opposition figures like himself, Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, or Rabiu Kwankwaso have effectively presented a compelling alternative to President Tinubu, El-Rufai urged Nigerians to reflect on their current realities.
“Well, we have to ask the people to make up their minds. Do you like what is happening? This is just two years, okay? If you’re happy with what is happening, if your life has got better since President Tinubu was sworn in on May 29, 2023, fine. But if not, why not give some other people a chance?” he said.
Pressed on whether any polling had been conducted to gauge Tinubu’s popularity, the former governor revealed that the president’s popularity is damning.
“We have done some polling. And I have mentioned some time ago that in many parts of the country, particularly in the South East and the North, President Tinubu has 91% disapproval rating. Even in Lagos, he has 78% disapproval rating,” he said.
“In some states in the Southwest, he’s doing a bit better on the equity. He’s doing better than 78 percent disapproval rating. But there is no way he’s doing better than 50 percent, even in the Southwest. The guy is gone. He’s performed miserably. The economy has tanked. The security architecture has failed.”
“Look, there are no clear trade, industrial and investment policies. Everything is going wrong. They are raising lots of revenues, but we don’t know where the revenues are going because there are no results.”
El-Rufai, who defected from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Social Democratic Party (SDP) on March 10, 2025, has since positioned himself as a leading voice in the growing opposition. At the time of his defection, he stated his mission was to “engage and persuade other opposition leaders and parties… under a unified democratic platform to challenge the APC in all elections and by-elections.”
He has since entered high-level discussions with key opposition figures including Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi, in a bid to consolidate forces ahead of the 2027 general elections.
El-Rufai’s split with President Tinubu deepened following the controversial denial of a ministerial appointment in August 2023. Though nominated and screened, he was ultimately left off the final list, reportedly due to unresolved “security clearance” issues flagged by the Department of State Services (DSS). El-Rufai has since denied the existence of such a report, claiming that it was President Tinubu who withdrew his name for political reasons.
