Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai has said his differences with President Bola Tinubu are rooted in governance philosophy and not personal animosity.
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. Speaking in an interview with Trust TV, El-Rufai said he and Tinubu never shared 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, noting that he was approached by Islamic stakeholders from the South-West to support the emergence of a Muslim presidential candidate from the region.
According to him, the decision was also influenced by an understanding within the All Progressives Congress that power would return to the South after eight years of former President Muhammadu Buhari. “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 8 years of Buhari, power would return to the south. It wasn’t about Tinubu; he was merely an accidental beneficiary,” he stated. El-Rufai added that once Tinubu emerged as the party’s candidate, he was committed to supporting him. “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.
El-Rufai further explained that his differences with Tinubu were rooted 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. 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.
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