Tinubu And I Were Never Friends Or Political Allies – Nasir El-Rufai

Nasir El Rufai

Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai has said that he never had any personal or political relationship with President Bola Tinubu. He recently had his say while speaking to the press, and Nigerians have been reacting.

According to him, he and Tinubu were never friends or political allies at any point in time because their paths were never destined to align.

He added his involvement in Tinubu’s 2023 presidential bid was not driven by personal loyalty but by political principle and party discipline within the APC.

His words, “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 with Tinubu. We never had a personal relationship.

For me, Tinubu was initially just an aspirant of the party. I was approached by certain Islamic stakeholders from the South-West and asked to support the emergence of a South-West Muslim presidential candidate.

As one of the founders of the APC, I knew that we had an understanding with the South, specifically the South-West, that after eight years of Buhari, power would go to the South. It was a matter of principle. It wasn’t about Tinubu.

It is a principle of mine that I fight for the candidate of my party in every election to win, whether I like the candidate or not. Tinubu emerged as the candidate, and I gave everything to ensure that he won. And that’s what I did.

We didn’t fall out. We just could not find areas of agreement. There was no equilibrium. We couldn’t agree.

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.

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.

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.”

WOW.