El-Rufai breaks silence on why he fell out with Tinubu

Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai has clarifiedthe reasons behind his reported differences with President Bola Tinubu,stressing that the disagreement was never personal. Speaking in an interview with Trust TV, El-Rufai said he andTinubu never had a close personal relationship. “I was never Tinubu’s friend. We never had a personalrelationship like the one I had with General Buhari,” El-Rufai said. He explained that his initial support for Tinubu was drivenby principle rather than personal affinity. “I was approached by certain Islamic stakeholders from thesouthwest to support the emergence of a southwest Muslim presidentialcandidate. “That is how the discussions started. As governor of Kadunaand one of the founders of APC, I knew there was an understanding that after 8years of Buhari, power would return to the south. It wasn’t about Tinubu; hewas merely an accidental beneficiary,” he stated. El-Rufai emphasized his commitment to party unity onceTinubu won the APC primaries. “It is a principle of mine to fight for the candidate of myparty in every election, whether I like the candidate or not. “The fact that he emerged as the party’s candidate meant Iwould give everything to ensure he won,” he said. The governor further explained that his differences withTinubu were rooted in governance philosophy. “We didn’t fall out; we didn’t find areas of agreement. I amin government to serve the public and deliver results not to enrich myself orappoint cronies. “The philosophy of this government is contrary to everythingI’ve been taught as a Muslim, a northerner, and a Nigerian. They came to governthe cake, to enrich themselves. We are different people parallel lines thatwill never meet,” El-Rufai said. He also noted that even if he had accepted Tinubu’s publiclyoffered ministerial position, he would have left the government due to thosefundamental differences in philosophy.

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