Nasir el-Rufai, former governor of Kaduna State, says the 2027 presidential election could extend into a run-off, with President Bola Tinubu unlikely to be among the top two contenders.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, el-Rufai said there is a strong possibility that no candidate will secure the required majority in the first round of voting.
“I was one of Bola Tinubu’s biggest campaigners, but I couldn’t deliver Kaduna State to him,” he said. “Even he couldn’t win his own state with his governor in place. At best, he will place third.”
El-Rufai argued that Nigerians will vote based on performance, not political affiliations. He dismissed claims that incumbency, money, or control of state institutions would secure Tinubu’s re-election, comparing the situation to former President Goodluck Jonathan’s 2015 defeat.
The former Kaduna governor, who left the APC after his ministerial nomination was blocked by the National Assembly, also revealed he would have resigned if appointed to serve in Tinubu’s cabinet.
