Former Kaduna State Governor Malam Nasir El-Rufai has claimed that he could be arrested at any time by the APC-led Federal Government.
El-Rufai, now a prominent figure in the opposition African Democratic Congress (ADC), made the allegation during an interview with BBC Hausa on Wednesday.
He also accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of mounting pressure on politicians to either defect to the party or remain within its fold.
The former governor, who has recently increased his criticism of President Bola Tinubu’s administration and the APC—the platform on which he ran Kaduna State for eight years—claims some of his allies have already been imprisoned.
“Four people we worked with in Kaduna have been arrested, so it’s only a matter of time before they come for me too,” he stated.
The former Minister of the FCT has stated that he was never friends with the president and that they are parallel lines that can never meet.
El-Rufai, who spoke during an interview on Trust TV on Monday, said his support for Tinubu’s 2023 presidential bid was driven by party loyalty and political arrangements, not 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.
The former Kaduna governor explained that his involvement in Tinubu’s emergence as president followed consultations within the All Progressives Congress 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,” El-Rufai stated.
He also stated that the zoning understanding within the APC after President Muhammadu Buhari’s eight-year tenure made a southern presidency inevitable.
“As governor of Kaduna and one of the founders of APC, I knew there was an understanding that after eight years of Buhari, power would return to the south. It wasn’t about Tinubu; he was merely an accidental beneficiary,” he said.
El-Rufai mentioned that once Tinubu secured the party’s ticket, he committed himself to the campaign in line with his personal 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.”
However, he stated that fundamental disputes arose following the election, stemming from divergent views of administration 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,” El-Rufai said.
He believes that the current administration’s approach to governance is in stark contrast to his own principles.
“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.
El-Rufai went on to say that he rejected Tinubu’s ministry appointment based on the same reason.
“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.
