I was never Tinubu’s friend — El-Rufai

A former Kaduna State Governor and ex-Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nasir El-Rufai, has dismissed claims of a personal fallout with President Bola Tinubu, stating that he never had a personal relationship with the President in the first place.

Speaking during an interview on Trust TV on Monday, El-Rufai said his support for Tinubu’s 2023 presidential bid was driven by party loyalty and political arrangements, not friendship.

“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.

The former governor explained that his involvement in Tinubu’s emergence as president followed consultations within the All Progressives Congress and broader political considerations 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 added that the zoning understanding within the APC after President Muhammadu Buhari’s eight-year tenure made a southern presidency inevitable.

“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 noted that once Tinubu secured the party’s ticket, he committed himself to the campaign in line with his personal 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.”

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However, he said fundamental disagreements surfaced after the election, rooted in differing philosophies of 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.

According to him, the governing approach of the current administration sharply contrasts with his own values.

“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 further disclosed that his decision to reject a ministerial appointment from President Tinubu was based on those same principles.

“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