Former Kaduna State Governor and ex-FCT Minister, Nasir El-Rufai, has addressed claims of a personal fallout with President Bola Tinubu, stressing that he never shared a personal friendship with the President.
Speaking in an interview on Trust TV on Monday, El-Rufai explained that his support for Tinubu’s 2023 presidential campaign was motivated by party loyalty and political arrangements, rather than friendship or personal affinity. “I was never Tinubu’s friend. We never had a personal relationship like the one I had with General Buhari of blessed memory,” he said.
El-Rufai added that his involvement in Tinubu’s rise followed consultations within the All Progressives Congress (APC) and broader political considerations, particularly the zoning agreement that stipulated a southern presidency after President Muhammadu Buhari’s eight-year tenure. “I was approached by certain Islamic stakeholders from the southwest to support the emergence of a southwest Muslim presidential candidate. That is how the discussions started,” he stated.
He described Tinubu as an “accidental beneficiary” of the zoning arrangement, emphasizing that his own support was guided by principle: “It is a principle of mine to fight for the candidate of my party in every election, whether I like the candidate or not. The fact that he emerged as the party’s candidate meant I would give everything to ensure he won.”
However, El-Rufai said that disagreements emerged post-election, rooted in contrasting philosophies of governance and public service. “We didn’t fall out; we didn’t find areas of agreement. I am in government to serve the public and deliver results, not to enrich myself or appoint cronies,” he explained.
He added that the current administration’s approach runs contrary to his values as a Muslim, northerner, and Nigerian: “The philosophy of this government is contrary to everything I’ve been taught. They came to govern the cake, to enrich themselves. We are different people, parallel lines that will never meet.”
El-Rufai also revealed that his refusal of a ministerial appointment from Tinubu was consistent with these principles: “If I had accepted the ministerial position that was publicly offered to me, I would have resigned shortly after. Our fundamental philosophies of governance are worlds apart.”
Elijah Adeyemi
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