It Was Never Personal – El-Rufai Explains Rift With Tinubu

Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai has broken his silence on the reported tension between him and President Bola Tinubu, insisting that their differences stem from ideological differences rather than personal animosity.

El-Rufai, speaking during a televised interview, dismissed claims of a personal fallout, noting that he never shared a close relationship with the president even before the 2023 elections. 

According to him, their association was strictly political and transactional.

“At no point did we have a personal bond,” El-Rufai said. “My relationship with Tinubu was never built on friendship, unlike what I had with Buhari.”

Explaining his decision to back Tinubu’s presidential bid, El-Rufai said his support was guided by political principles and party calculations, not loyalty to an individual. 

He revealed that influential Islamic leaders from the South-West had initiated conversations around presenting a Muslim candidate from the region.

Moreover, he argued that the APC’s internal power-sharing logic played a decisive role. 

After eight years of a northern presidency, El-Rufai said there was a broad understanding within the party that power should rotate to the South, making Tinubu a beneficiary of that consensus rather than its sole driver.

“Once the party made its choice, my duty was clear,” he stated. “I fight for my party’s candidate, regardless of personal preferences.”

El-Rufai added that he committed fully to Tinubu’s election campaign after the APC primaries, stressing that party discipline and unity mattered more to him than individual ambition.

However, the former governor drew a sharp line when discussing governance. 

He said his values and expectations of public service sharply conflicted with the governing style of the Tinubu administration.

“I believe government exists to serve the people, not to be shared among loyalists,” El-Rufai said. 

“What I see today contradicts my beliefs as a Muslim, a northerner, and a Nigerian.”

He described the divergence as a fundamental clash of philosophies, suggesting that cooperation would have been unsustainable even if he had accepted a role in the federal cabinet.

“Even if I had joined the government, I would not have lasted,” he said. “When visions don’t align, separation becomes inevitable.”

El-Rufai’s remarks add fresh context to ongoing political realignments within the APC, particularly as senior figures openly question the direction of the current administration.