Former governor of Kaduna State Nasir El-Rufai has spoken about the silence of certain friends, colleagues, and relatives whom he says he had backed in the past, stating that he holds no bitterness toward those who have decided not to support him.
El-Rufai shared these comments in a statement called “My Relationships and the Aftermath,” posted on X on Wednesday.
According to the former governor, some individuals had voiced worry over the noticeable silence of those he had been close to or had openly backed in earlier times.
“Over the years, I have stood by people and for causes I believed in, sometimes in difficult circumstances and at considerable personal cost. I did so not in expectation of praise, gratitude, or reciprocity, but because I believed it was right,” he said.
El-Rufai stated that those he had supported were free to decide how to respond to his current circumstances.
“Some may speak; others may remain silent. Others may even deny our relationship or try rewriting history. Their reasons are their own, and I do not wish to judge them merely because their response differs from what others or even I might have expected,” he said.
“Adversity has a way of illuminating relationships,” El-Rufai said, adding that what he had learned during the period could cause him to “reconsider the nature of certain relationships.”
He emphasized that such reflection should not be interpreted as condemnation.
“That is neither reproach nor condemnation; it is simply part of seeing people and life more clearly,” he said.
El-Rufai stated that he had no regrets about backing individuals or causes he believed were right and that he would not let the actions of others alter the principles that guided him.
“I have no regrets about standing by people or for causes when I believed it was right to do so, and I bear no resentment towards anyone who chooses not to do the same for me,” he said.
“As for any injustice, ingratitude, or injury done to me, I seek neither revenge nor retribution. Ultimate accountability belongs to Almighty Allah, and I leave that judgment to Him, in this world and in the Hereafter,” he said.
El-Rufai concluded by stating that everyone would ultimately have to live with the choices they made, while posterity would judge their actions.
“In the end, each of us must live with the choices we make, and posterity will render whatever verdict it sees fit. My only concern is to remain at peace with my conscience and, above all, with Almighty Allah,” he said.
