Former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai has clarified the reasons behind his reported differences with President Bola Tinubu.
He, however, stated that the disagreement was never personal.
El-Rufai told Trust TV in an interview that he and Tinubu never had 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.
According to him, his initial support for Tinubu was driven by principle rather than personal affinity.
El-Rufai said, “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,”
The former Kaduna governor said his commitment to party unity increased once Tinubu won the APC primaries.
He said, “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 further explained that his differences with Tinubu were rooted in governance philosophy.
He further stated, “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 also noted that even if he had accepted Tinubu’s publicly offered ministerial position, he would have left the government due to those fundamental differences in philosophy.
