Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has revealed that his disagreement with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is rooted in differences in governance philosophy rather than personal conflict.
Speaking during an interview with Trust TV on Monday, El-Rufai dismissed public assumptions of a long-standing personal relationship between him and the President, stressing that his support during the 2023 presidential election was based on political calculations and party loyalty.
“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 early backing of Tinubu’s presidential ambition was influenced by political and regional considerations rather than personal ties.
“I was approached by certain Islamic stakeholders from the South-West to support the emergence of a South-West Muslim presidential candidate,” he said.
“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.”
El-Rufai added that once Tinubu secured the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential ticket, he fully supported him in line with his long-standing political principle.
“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 stated.
However, the former governor said their eventual fallout was driven by what he described as a sharp contrast in governance ideology.
“We didn’t fall out; we just 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.
“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 further disclosed that he rejected a ministerial appointment offered by the Tinubu administration because of those same differences in governance approach.
“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,” El-Rufai declared.
