Former Kaduna State Governor and ex-Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nasir El-Rufai, has clarified that his backing of President Bola Tinubu in the 2023 presidential election was based on party considerations rather than any personal relationship.
Speaking during an interview on Trust TV on Monday, El-Rufai dismissed suggestions of a personal fallout with the President, stating that he never had a close personal bond with Tinubu.
“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.
El-Rufai explained that his involvement in Tinubu’s emergence as the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate followed consultations within the party and broader political calculations ahead of the election.
“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,” he noted.
According to him, the zoning understanding within the APC after President Muhammadu Buhari’s eight-year tenure made the return of power to the South inevitable.
“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 said.
He added that once Tinubu clinched the party’s ticket, he committed fully to the campaign in line with his personal principle of supporting his party’s candidate.
“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, El-Rufai said disagreements emerged after the election due to what he described as sharp differences in governance philosophy.
“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,” he stated.
He argued that the approach of the current administration runs contrary to his own values and 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 also revealed that his decision to decline a ministerial appointment offered by President Tinubu was informed by these differences.
“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.
