I Was Never Tinubu’s Friend; His Administration’s Governing Style Contradicts My Values — El-Rufai
Former Kaduna State Governor and ex–Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nasir El-Rufai, has rejected claims that he fell out personally with President Bola Tinubu, saying there was never any personal relationship between them to begin with.
El-Rufai made the clarification on Monday during an interview on Trust TV, explaining that his support for Tinubu during the 2023 presidential election was based on party loyalty and political calculations, not friendship.
“I was never Tinubu’s friend. We didn’t have a personal relationship like the one I had with General Muhammadu Buhari of blessed memory,” he said.
According to him, his role in Tinubu’s emergence followed consultations within the All Progressives Congress and broader political considerations ahead of the election.
He revealed that the process began after some Islamic leaders from the South-West approached him to support the idea of a South-West Muslim presidential candidate.
El-Rufai also said the APC had an informal zoning understanding that power would return to the South after Buhari’s eight-year tenure.
“As governor of Kaduna and a founding member of the APC, I knew there was an understanding that power would shift to the South after Buhari. It wasn’t really about Tinubu; he simply benefited from the arrangement,” he said.
He noted that once Tinubu clinched the party’s ticket, he committed himself fully to the campaign, in line with his personal principle of supporting his party’s candidate.
“I believe in fighting for my party’s candidate in every election, whether I personally like the candidate or not,” he added.
However, El-Rufai said disagreements emerged after the election due to fundamental differences in governance philosophy.
“We didn’t fall out; we just didn’t find common ground. I believe government should serve the people and deliver results, not enrich individuals or reward cronies,” he said.
He described the current administration’s governing style as sharply opposed to his own values, adding that this was the reason he turned down a ministerial appointment.
“If I had accepted the ministerial offer, I would have resigned shortly after. Our approaches to governance are completely different,” El-Rufai stated.
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