Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai has delivered a blistering critique of President Bola Tinubu, declaring that the president has lost the confidence of Nigerians and faces near-impossible odds for re-election in 2027.

Speaking on Prime Time, a programme on Arise Television, El-Rufai cited recent polling data indicating Tinubu’s widespread unpopularity across the country. According to him, a disapproval rating of 91 percent was recorded in the southeast and northern regions, while even in Lagos — Tinubu’s political stronghold — 78 percent of respondents expressed dissatisfaction with the president’s performance.

“We have done some polling in many parts of the country,” El-Rufai said. “In the south-east and the north, President Tinubu has a 91 percent disapproval rating. In Lagos, it’s 78 percent. Even in the south-west, he’s not doing well — no state gives him over 50 percent approval.”

The former minister painted a grim picture of Tinubu’s administration, describing it as directionless and failing on all major fronts. He cited a “tanked economy,” worsening insecurity, and a complete absence of credible policies on trade, industry, and investment.

“The guy is gone. He has performed miserably,” El-Rufai said bluntly. “They are raising lots of revenues, but we don’t know where the money is going because there are no results. Nothing is working.”

El-Rufai urged Nigerians to evaluate their own experiences since Tinubu assumed office on May 29, 2023.

“If your life has gotten better under Tinubu, fine. But if it hasn’t — and that’s the reality for most people — then why not give someone else a chance?”

Fractured Alliances, Emerging Coalition

El-Rufai’s remarks come amid growing rifts within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and rising momentum around a political coalition aiming to unseat Tinubu in the next presidential election.

The former governor is working alongside other prominent political figures — including former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, former Rivers State governor Rotimi Amaechi, and Labour Party’s Peter Obi — to build a united front ahead of 2027.

While Tinubu has maintained a loyal political base since his time as Lagos governor and party kingmaker, mounting public discontent over economic hardship, rising insecurity, and opaque governance now threaten his grip on power.

With approval ratings in freefall and dissent brewing even within his party, El-Rufai’s stark assessment may prove prophetic — unless, as he put it, “a miracle happens.”