Former Kaduna State Governor and former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Malam Nasir El-Rufai, has said he never had a personal friendship with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, dismissing public claims that the two men later fell out after the 2023 presidential election.
El-Rufai made the clarification during an interview on Trust TV on Monday, where he spoke at length about his role in the 2023 general election, his support for President Tinubu, and his reasons for rejecting a ministerial appointment after the election.
According to him, his relationship with Tinubu was never based on friendship but on political party loyalty and agreements within the All Progressives Congress (APC).
“I was never Tinubu’s friend. We never had a personal relationship like the one I had with General Muhammadu Buhari of blessed memory,” El-Rufai said.
His comments come amid widespread speculation that he and President Tinubu had fallen out after the former governor was not included in the list of ministers appointed by the President in 2023. Some political observers had suggested that personal disagreements or political betrayal may have been responsible for the development.
However, El-Rufai said there was no fallout because there was no close personal relationship to begin with.
El-Rufai explained that his support for Tinubu’s presidential ambition was rooted in APC politics and internal arrangements, not personal affection.
He said that before the 2023 election, discussions began within the party and among influential groups about the need for power to return to the southern part of the country after President Muhammadu Buhari’s eight-year tenure.
“I was approached by certain Islamic stakeholders from the South-West to support the emergence of a South-West Muslim presidential candidate. That was how the discussions started,” he said.
According to him, as a founding member of the APC and a serving governor at the time, he was aware of a zoning understanding within the party.
“There was an understanding that after eight years of Buhari, power would return to the South. It wasn’t about Tinubu at first. He became an accidental beneficiary of that arrangement,” El-Rufai stated.
He noted that once Tinubu emerged as the APC presidential candidate after winning the party’s primaries in June 2022, he committed himself fully to the campaign.
“It is a principle of mine to fight for the candidate of my party in every election, whether I like the candidate or not. Once he became the party’s candidate, I gave everything to ensure he won,” he said.
President Tinubu won the 2023 presidential election on the platform of the APC, defeating Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Peter Obi of the Labour Party.
The election was one of the most contested in Nigeria’s history, with issues of zoning, religion, economy, and national unity dominating public debate.
Tinubu’s Muslim-Muslim ticket, which paired him with Kashim Shettima, generated controversy, especially among Christian groups. However, some political leaders, including El-Rufai, openly supported the ticket, arguing that competence and party loyalty were more important.
El-Rufai was one of Tinubu’s most vocal supporters during the campaign, often defending party decisions and attacking opposition parties.
Despite his strong support during the campaign, El-Rufai said deep differences became clear after Tinubu assumed office as President in May 2023.
According to him, the problem was not personal conflict but a sharp difference in values and philosophy of governance.
“We didn’t fall out. We simply didn’t find areas of agreement,” he said.
El-Rufai described his own approach to public service as one focused on results, discipline, and service to the people, rather than personal gain.
“I am in government to serve the public and deliver results, not to enrich myself or appoint cronies,” he said.
He alleged that the governing style of the current administration is completely different from what he believes in.
“The philosophy of this government is contrary to everything I’ve been taught as a Muslim, a northerner, and a Nigerian,” El-Rufai stated.
“They came to govern the cake, to enrich themselves. We are different people, parallel lines that will never meet.”
One of the major political developments after Tinubu’s victory was El-Rufai’s absence from the final ministerial list sent to the National Assembly.
Although his name was initially submitted, it was later dropped, leading to reports that he had been rejected by the Senate or sidelined by the President.
El-Rufai, however, said his decision not to serve as a minister was based on principle.
“If I had accepted the ministerial position that was publicly offered to me, I would have resigned shortly after,” he said.
According to him, the wide gap between his beliefs and the administration’s approach to governance would have made it impossible for him to function effectively as a minister.
“Our fundamental philosophies of governance are worlds apart,” he added.
Nasir El-Rufai served as Governor of Kaduna State from 2015 to 2023. Before then, he was Minister of the Federal Capital Territory between 2003 and 2007 under former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
He is known for his bold reforms, controversial policies, and strong views on governance, security, and national unity. His tenure as governor was marked by infrastructural development as well as criticism over security challenges and ethnic tensions in Kaduna State.
El-Rufai was also a close ally of former President Muhammadu Buhari, with whom he said he had a personal relationship built over many years.
El-Rufai’s comments have added to ongoing debates within the APC about internal unity, leadership style, and the direction of the Tinubu administration.
Others see his remarks as part of early positioning ahead of future political realignments.
For now, El-Rufai insists that his position is guided by principle rather than bitterness.
“I did what I believed was right for my party and my country at the time,” he said.
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