El-Rufai Explains Rift With Tinubu, Says Disagreement Was Never Personal
Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has clarified the reasons behind his reported differences with President Bola Tinubu, stressing that the disagreement was never personal and did not stem from a close relationship between them.
Speaking during an interview with Trust TV, El-Rufai said he and Tinubu never shared a personal bond, unlike his relationship with former President Muhammadu Buhari.
“I was never Tinubu’s friend. We never had a personal relationship like the one I had with General Buhari,” he said.
El-Rufai explained that his support for Tinubu’s presidential ambition was based on principle and party arrangements, not personal loyalty.
According to him, he was approached by Islamic stakeholders from the South-West to back the emergence of a Muslim presidential candidate from the region.
“That is how the discussions started. 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 stated.
He added that once Tinubu emerged as the APC presidential candidate, he was duty-bound to support him fully.
“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,” El-Rufai said.
The former governor, however, said his differences with Tinubu were rooted in contrasting governance philosophies, not personal animosity.
“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 said.
El-Rufai went further to criticise what he described as the governing approach of the current administration, saying it runs contrary to his personal values and 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 added.
He also noted that even if he had accepted the ministerial position publicly offered to him by President Tinubu, he would have eventually left the administration due to those fundamental ideological differences.
