|By Chinwendu Nwani
Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has openly explained the reasons behind his reported differences with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, insisting the rift was never personal but firmly rooted in ideology and governance philosophy.
Speaking during an interview on Trust TV, El-Rufai dismissed claims of a broken friendship, stressing that he never shared a close personal relationship with the president.
“I was never Tinubu’s friend. We never had a personal relationship like the one I had with General Buhari,” El-Rufai stated.
The former governor said his decision to support Tinubu’s presidential ambition was driven strictly by political principle and party understanding, not personal loyalty.
According to him, the process began after Islamic stakeholders from the South-West approached him 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 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 explained.
El-Rufai said once Tinubu clinched the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential ticket, he committed himself fully to the party’s cause, in line with his long-held 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 said.
However, El-Rufai noted that cracks later emerged due to irreconcilable differences in governance approach, 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.
He further accused the current administration of prioritising personal enrichment over public service, a philosophy he said contradicts 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 added.
The former governor also revealed that even if he had accepted the ministerial position publicly offered to him by President Tinubu, he would have eventually exited the government due to those deep-seated ideological differences.
