El-Rufai: I Was Never Tinubu’s Friend

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – Former Kaduna State Governor and ex-Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nasir El-Rufai, has said he never had a personal friendship with President Bola Tinubu.

Speaking in an interview on Trust TV, El-Rufai dismissed claims that the two leaders fell out after the 2023 election. According to him, there was no personal relationship to begin with.

“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 explained that his support for Tinubu’s presidential ambition in 2023 was based on party loyalty and political arrangements within the All Progressives Congress (APC), not personal ties.

He said discussions about supporting a southern Muslim candidate began after consultations with political and religious stakeholders from the South-West. He also pointed to an understanding within the APC that power would return to the South after former President Muhammadu Buhari’s eight years in office.

“As governor of Kaduna and one of the founders of APC, I knew there was an agreement that power would shift to the South. It wasn’t about Tinubu; he was an accidental beneficiary,” El-Rufai said.

He added that once Tinubu became the party’s candidate, he felt obligated to support him fully.

“It is my principle to work for my party’s candidate in any election, whether I like the person or not,” he said.

However, El-Rufai said differences emerged after the election, especially over how the country should be governed. He stressed that their disagreement was about principles, not personal conflict.

“We didn’t fall out; we simply don’t share the same views. I believe in serving the public and delivering results, not enriching myself or appointing cronies,” he said.

He described the current administration’s style of governance as being at odds with his personal values.

“The philosophy of this government is different from everything I believe in as a Muslim, a northerner, and a Nigerian. We are like parallel lines that will never meet,” he stated.

El-Rufai also revealed that he turned down a ministerial appointment from President Tinubu for the same reasons.

“If I had accepted the position, I would have resigned not long after. Our approaches to governance are completely different,” he said.

Short URL: https://www.africanexaminer.com/?p=105618