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 had 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.
“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. 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 emphasized his commitment to party unity once
Tinubu won the APC primaries.
“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.
The governor 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.
He also noted that even if he had accepted Tinubu’s publicly
offered ministerial position, he would have left the government due to those
fundamental differences in philosophy.
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