Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El Rufai, has explained the reasons behind his reported differences with President Bola Tinubu, insisting that the disagreement was not personal.
Speaking in an interview with Trust TV, El Rufai said he and Tinubu never shared a close personal relationship.
“I was never Tinubu’s friend. We never had a personal relationship like the one I had with General Buhari,” El Rufai said.
He explained that his initial support for Tinubu’s presidential ambition was based on principle rather than personal loyalty.
“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. As governor of Kaduna and one of the founders of APC, I knew there was an understanding that after 8 years of Buhari, power would return to the south. It wasn’t about Tinubu; he was merely an accidental beneficiary,” he stated.
El Rufai said once Tinubu emerged as the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, he committed himself fully to the party’s campaign in line with his long held political 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.
The former governor, however, explained that his disagreement with Tinubu was rooted in differences in governance philosophy.
“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 said.
He added that even if he had accepted the ministerial position publicly offered to him by Tinubu, he would have eventually exited the government because of those fundamental differences in philosophy.
