I was never friends with Tinubu — El-Rufai
By Jeffrey Agbo
Former Kaduna State governor and ex-Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nasir El-Rufai, has rejected claims that he fell out with President Bola Tinubu, insisting that no personal friendship ever existed between them.
El-Rufai stated this during an interview with Trust TV on Monday, where he explained that his support for Tinubu’s successful 2023 presidential bid was rooted in party loyalty and political calculations rather than personal ties.
“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.
According to the former governor, his role in Tinubu’s emergence followed internal discussions within the All Progressives Congress and broader political realities 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 said the APC’s power-sharing arrangement after President Muhammadu Buhari’s eight-year tenure made the return of power to the South unavoidable.
“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 explained that once Tinubu clinched the party’s ticket, he fully committed to the campaign in line with his long-standing political 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 said.
However, the ex-governor said sharp differences emerged after the election, driven by opposing views on 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,” El-Rufai said.
He argued that the governing style of the current administration is fundamentally at odds with his own beliefs.
“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 also revealed that these differences informed his decision to decline a ministerial appointment offered by President Tinubu.
“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.
