The immediate past governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, has dismissed claims of a personal fallout with President Bola Tinubu, stating that he never had a personal relationship with the president in the first place.
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.
