Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai has clarified that he was never friends with President Bola Tinubu, insisting that his support during the 2023 elections was strictly political.
In an interview with Trust TV on Monday, El-Rufai said it was incorrect to assume a close personal relationship with the President. He explained that his backing was rooted in party arrangements and regional political dynamics.
“I was never Tinubu’s friend. We never had a personal relationship like the one I had with General Buhari,” El-Rufai said. “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.”
El-Rufai, a founding member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), added that it was understood that power would return to the South after Buhari’s two terms. He described Tinubu as “merely an accidental beneficiary” of this arrangement.
Once Tinubu became the APC candidate, El-Rufai said he fully committed to securing the party’s victory, in line with his principles.
“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, the former governor revealed that differences between him and Tinubu became apparent after the election, citing contrasting approaches to governance and public service.
“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. 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 stated.
He also dismissed concerns that defections of opposition governors to the ruling party could weaken resistance ahead of the 2027 elections.
“As the governor of Kaduna State… Tinubu lost. He didn’t win Kaduna. We lost three Senate seats,” he said, adding, “The governor has only one vote,” highlighting that incumbency does not guarantee electoral success.
