Former Kaduna State governor and ex–Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nasir El-Rufai, has said there was no personal fallout between him and President Bola Tinubu, insisting they never shared a personal relationship.
El-Rufai clarified on Monday during an interview on Trust TV, explaining that his support for Tinubu’s 2023 presidential bid was rooted in party loyalty and internal arrangements within the All Progressives Congress (APC), not friendship.
“I was never Tinubu’s friend. We never had a personal relationship like the one I had with General Buhari,” El-Rufai said.
According to him, his involvement in Tinubu’s emergence followed broader political consultations, particularly appeals from Islamic stakeholders in the South-West.
“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,” he stated.
El-Rufai noted that zoning expectations within the APC after President Muhammadu Buhari’s eight-year tenure made a southern presidency likely, stressing that Tinubu’s candidacy was a product of that arrangement rather than personal consideration.
“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 said.
He explained that once Tinubu emerged as the party’s candidate, he supported him out of 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,” El-Rufai added.
Addressing reports of a fallout after the election, the former governor said the issues were not personal but ideological, rooted in different approaches to governance.
“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.
El-Rufai further stated that the philosophy of the current administration clashes with his own beliefs.
“The philosophy of this government is contrary to everything I’ve been taught as a Muslim, a northerner, and a Nigerian,” he said.
He also explained that this fundamental difference was why he declined a ministerial appointment from Tinubu.
“If I had accepted the ministerial position that was publicly offered to me, I would have resigned shortly after. Our philosophies of governance are different,” he said.
El-Rufai served as governor of Kaduna State from 2015 to 2023 and as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory from 2003 to 2007. He is a founding member of the APC and played a key role in party negotiations ahead of the 2023 general election.
