Former Kaduna State governor and ex Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nasir El Rufai, has denied claims that he fell out with President Bola Tinubu, saying they were never friends to begin with.
El Rufai spoke during an interview on Trust TV on Monday, where he said his support for Tinubu during the 2023 presidential election was based on party loyalty and political arrangements, not personal friendship.
According to him, he never had a personal relationship with Tinubu like the one he shared with former President Muhammadu Buhari.
El Rufai explained that his involvement in Tinubu’s emergence followed consultations within the All Progressives Congress and discussions with Islamic stakeholders from the South West who wanted a southern Muslim candidate.
He said after Buhari’s eight years in office, it was widely understood within the APC that power would return to the South.
El Rufai added that Tinubu only benefited from that political understanding and was not personally chosen by him.
He said once Tinubu became the party’s candidate, he supported him fully out of principle, noting that he always works for his party’s candidate whether he likes the person or not.
However, El Rufai said serious disagreements surfaced after the election due to different views on governance and public service.
According to him, the current administration’s approach does not align with his values, stressing that leadership should focus on service and results, not personal enrichment.
He also revealed that he rejected the ministerial appointment offered to him by Tinubu because their governing philosophies were completely different.
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