Former Kaduna State Governor and ex-Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nasir El-Rufai, has denied claims of a personal fallout with President Bola Tinubu, asserting that he never had a personal relationship with the President.
Speaking in an interview on Trust TV on Monday, El-Rufai said his support for Tinubu’s 2023 presidential bid was motivated by party loyalty and political arrangements, rather than friendship.
“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 involvement in Tinubu’s emergence as president followed consultations within the All Progressives Congress (APC) and broader political considerations ahead of the election.
“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 added.
He also referenced the zoning agreement within the APC, noting that after President Muhammadu Buhari’s eight-year tenure, a southern presidency was expected. “It wasn’t about Tinubu; he was merely an accidental beneficiary,” El-Rufai said.
Once Tinubu secured the party’s ticket, the former governor said he committed fully to the campaign, guided by his principles.
“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,” he stated.
El-Rufai said that fundamental disagreements with the current administration arose after the election due to 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 criticized the current administration’s approach, claiming it contrasts sharply with his values as a Muslim, northerner, and Nigerian. “They came to govern the cake, to enrich themselves. We are different people, parallel lines that will never meet,” he said.
El-Rufai also revealed that he declined a ministerial appointment from Tinubu for the same reasons. “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,” he added.
