Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has offered fresh insight into the much-talked-about strain in his relationship with President Bola Tinubu, insisting that their differences were never rooted in personal animosity.
In an interview with Trust TV, El-Rufai said he and Tinubu did not share a close personal bond, contrary to public assumptions. “I was never Tinubu’s friend. We never had a personal relationship like the one I had with General Buhari,” he said.
El-Rufai explained that his decision to support Tinubu’s presidential ambition was guided by political principle and party arrangements, not friendship. According to him, the process began after he was contacted by Islamic leaders from the South-West who wanted a Muslim presidential candidate from the region.
“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. As governor of Kaduna and one of the founders of APC, I knew there was an understanding that after 8 years of Buhari, power would return to the south. It wasn’t about Tinubu; he was merely an accidental beneficiary,” he stated.
He added that once Tinubu secured the APC presidential ticket, his loyalty to the party compelled him to fully back the campaign, regardless of personal preferences.
“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,” El-Rufai said.
However, the former governor noted that his eventual differences with Tinubu stemmed from conflicting views on 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 said.
El-Rufai went further to criticise what he described as a sharp contrast between his values and the governing style of the current administration. “The philosophy of this government is contrary to everything I’ve been taught as a Muslim, a northerner, and a Nigerian. They came to govern the cake, to enrich themselves. We are different people parallel lines that will never meet,” he said.
He also disclosed that even if he had accepted the ministerial appointment publicly offered to him by President Tinubu, he would have eventually exited the administration due to those deep-seated philosophical differences.
