Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has clarified that his reported disagreements with President Bola Tinubu are not personal but rooted in differences over governance philosophy.
Speaking during an interview on Trust TV, El-Rufai stated that he and the president 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,” he said, referring to former President Muhammadu Buhari.
El-Rufai explained that his support for Tinubu’s presidential bid was based on principle and party considerations rather than personal affinity.
According to him, he was approached by Islamic stakeholders from the South-West to support 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 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 stated.
The former governor said that once Tinubu secured the presidential ticket of the All Progressives Congress, 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,” he said.
El-Rufai, however, maintained that his differences with the current administration are based on 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 said.
He added that the philosophy of the current administration does not align with his 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,” El-Rufai stated.
He further noted that if he had accepted the ministerial position publicly offered to him by President Tinubu, he might have resigned due to what he described as fundamental philosophical differences.
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