Nasir El-Rufai, the former Governor of Kaduna State, has clarified that his support for President Bola Tinubu in the 2023 elections was a matter of political duty rather than personal friendship. Speaking on Trust TV, El-Rufai debunked rumors of a personal “falling out,” explaining that a close relationship never existed between him and the President.
Political Duty Over Friendship
El-Rufai distinguished his relationship with Tinubu from the deep personal bond he shared with former President Muhammadu Buhari. He noted that his backing of Tinubu’s candidacy was the result of two main factors:
Zoning Agreements: A consensus within the APC that power must shift to the South after Buhari’s tenure.
Religious Consultations: Requests from Southwest Islamic stakeholders to support a Muslim candidate from their region.
The former governor described Tinubu as an “accidental beneficiary” of these existing political arrangements, adding that his vigorous campaigning was driven by his principle of total loyalty to his party’s nominee, regardless of personal preference.
Clashing Governance Philosophies
The core of the current distance between the two men lies in what El-Rufai describes as “parallel” values. He accused the current administration of prioritizing self-enrichment and cronyism over public service.
”We didn’t fall out; we simply don’t agree,” El-Rufai stated. He characterized the administration’s approach as a desire to “govern the cake” for personal gain—a philosophy he claims contradicts his upbringing as a Northerner, a Muslim, and a Nigerian.
The Rejected Ministerial Role
Addressing his absence from the cabinet, El-Rufai revealed that his decision to decline a ministerial position was a preemptive move. He argued that even if he had accepted the role, he would have likely resigned within a short period because his standards for delivering results and public service are “worlds apart” from the President’s current governing style.
