El-Rufai also clarified that he and President Tinubu never had the close personal relationship he shared with ex-President Buhari.
By Kehinde Okeowo
Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has clarified that he parted ways with President Bola Tinubu due to ideological differences, adding that their disagreement was never personal.
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) chieftain made this known recently while appearing as a guest on Trust TV.
Speaking during the interview, El-Rufai made it clear that he and Tinubu never had a close personal relationship.
“I was never Tinubu’s friend. We never had a personal relationship like the one I had with General Buhari,” El-Rufai said.
He explained that his initial support for Tinubu was driven by principle rather than personal affinity.
“I was approached by certain Islamic stakeholders from the South West to support the emergence of a South West Muslim presidential candidate.
“That is how the discussions started. As Governor of Kaduna and one of the founders of the 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 stated.
El-Rufai emphasised his commitment to party unity once Tinubu won the APC primaries.
“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.
The former governor further explained that his differences with Tinubu were rooted in governance philosophy.
“We didn’t fall out; we simply didn’t find areas of agreement. I am in government to serve the public and deliver results, not to enrich myself or appoint cronies.
“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,” El-Rufai said.
He also noted that even if he had accepted Tinubu’s publicly offered ministerial position, he would have left the government eventually due to those fundamental differences in philosophy.
