Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai has clarified that he has never had a personal or political relationship with President Bola Tinubu, insisting that their paths were never meant to align.
El-Rufai, a chieftain of the coalition-led African Democratic Congress (ADC), made the remarks during an interview on Trust TV, dismissing claims that he and Tinubu were ever friends or political allies.
“I think it’s important to make this clarification. There is an assumption that I was ever Tinubu’s friend. I was not. We never got along. We never had a personal relationship,” he said.
He explained that his involvement in Tinubu’s 2023 presidential campaign was driven not by personal loyalty but by political principle and party discipline within the All Progressives Congress (APC).
“For me, Tinubu was initially just an aspirant of the party. I was approached by certain Islamic stakeholders from the Southwest and asked to support the emergence of a Southwest Muslim presidential candidate,” El-Rufai stated.
He noted that his support was anchored in an understanding within the APC that power would shift to the South after eight years of former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.
“As one of the founders of the APC, I knew we had an understanding with the Southwest that after eight years of Buhari, power would go to the South. It was a matter of principle. It wasn’t about Tinubu,” he said.
Once Tinubu emerged as the party’s candidate, El-Rufai said he fully committed to ensuring the APC’s victory.
“It is a principle of mine to fight for the candidate of my party in every election, whether I like the candidate or not. Tinubu emerged as the candidate, and I gave everything to ensure he won. And that’s what I did,” he added.
However, El-Rufai said fundamental differences in values and governance philosophy eventually created a gap between him and the President.
“We didn’t fall out. We just could not find areas of agreement. There was no equilibrium. We couldn’t agree,” he explained.
The former governor was particularly critical of what he described as the Tinubu administration’s governing philosophy, arguing that it conflicted with his understanding of public service.
“I am in government for delivery, for results and performance. Public service is not about making money for yourself. It’s not about stealing. It’s not about appointing your cronies or your tribesmen,” he said.
El-Rufai also revealed that even if a ministerial appointment in Tinubu’s cabinet had materialized, he would not have stayed.
“Even if the offer that Tinubu made to me to be a minister had gone through, I would have left the government long ago. The philosophy of this government is contrary to everything I have been taught as a Muslim, as a northerner, and as a Nigerian,” he declared.
He concluded that the stark contrast in values made any long-term alignment with Tinubu impossible.
“These guys didn’t come to govern. They came to enrich themselves, pure and simple. We are different people. So it should not surprise anybody that knows me and knows Tinubu to see that we are parallel lines that will never meet,” El-Rufai said.
