ENUGU, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir el-Rufai has declared that he never shared either a personal bond or political alignment with President Bola Tinubu, describing their relationship as fundamentally incompatible.
Speaking during a television interview, the prominent figure in the coalition-backed African Democratic Congress (ADC) dismissed long-standing assumptions that he and the President were allies.
“There is this notion that I was Tinubu’s friend. I was not. We never had a personal relationship and we never got along,” he said.
El-Rufai explained that his role in supporting Tinubu’s 2023 presidential bid stemmed from party loyalty and internal agreements within the All Progressives Congress (APC), not personal affinity.
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According to him, there was a long-standing understanding within the party that power would rotate to the South after former President Muhammadu Buhari’s eight-year tenure.
“As one of the founders of the APC, I was aware of the understanding that power would shift to the South, particularly the South-West, after Buhari. It was about principle, not about Tinubu,” he stated.
He also revealed that certain South-West Muslim stakeholders had approached him to support the emergence of a Muslim candidate from the region, further influencing his decision.
El-Rufai maintained that once Tinubu secured the party’s ticket, he committed fully to the campaign out of party discipline.
“It is my principle to fight for my party’s candidate, whether I like the person or not. Tinubu emerged, and I gave everything to ensure victory,” he said.
However, he stressed that differences in governance philosophy eventually made continued alignment impossible.
“We didn’t fall out. We just could not find common ground. There was no equilibrium between us,” he explained.
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The former governor was particularly critical of what he described as the administration’s approach to governance, which he said conflicts with his values.
“I believe government is about delivery, performance and results. It is not about personal enrichment, favouring cronies or promoting tribal interests,” he said.
El-Rufai went further to suggest that even if his ministerial nomination under Tinubu had been confirmed, he would not have remained in office for long.
“Even if I had been appointed minister, I would have exited long ago. The governing philosophy of this administration contradicts everything I believe in as a Muslim, as a northerner, and as a Nigerian,” he said.
He concluded by asserting that their ideological divide makes any future alignment unlikely.
“We are fundamentally different. Anyone who knows both of us should not be surprised that we are parallel lines that will never meet,” el-Rufai stated.