Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai has described the President Bola Tinubu-led administration as a “tragedy”.
Speaking in an interview on Arise News on Monday, El-Rufai stated that he had expected Tinubu to emulate the development strides he achieved in Lagos as state governor from 1999 to 2007.
He was, however, disappointed that the president had instead brought Nigeria to economic ruin.
The former minister of the Federal Capital Territory stated that he shared responsibility for the “tragedy” that he believed the Tinubu administration had become.
He stated that his support for the president in the 2023 elections was based on his belief in Tinubu’s previous achievements in Lagos, but that belief has since been shaken.
“I supported him because I believed in his Lagos legacy. He was inclusive. He brought in professionals like Yemi Osinbajo and Wale Edun from the private sector. He appointed Igbos and Hausas in key roles, and he got things done. But now… this?
“I feel like I owe Nigeria a duty to correct this mistake. I am 65 now, approaching retirement, but I cannot rest knowing that I helped bring in a government that is hurting Nigerians.
“I will do all I can, with others, to reverse this trajectory. If we leave this unchecked, Nigeria will be destroyed,” El-Rufai declared.
He further said that, although belonging to the same political party, he and Tinubu never had a close friendship.
He attributed this to his commitment to former President Muhammadu Buhari, with whom he had a closer relationship.
“I was never close to Tinubu. In the party, I was a ‘Buhari boy’. Tinubu had his boys.
“The person I connected with was Baba Bisi Akande. I served as his deputy national secretary.
“So Tinubu never liked me. But when he won the ticket, I set my personal feelings aside and worked hard to deliver Kaduna for him. That was my duty as a party man”, El-Rufai said.
