Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has explained the reasons behind his widely reported differences with President Bola Tinubu, stressing that the disagreement was never personal.
In an interview with Trust TV, on the 9th of February, 2026, El-Rufai clarified that 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,” he said.
He further explained that his initial support for Tinubu was guided by principle rather than personal affinity.
“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,” El-Rufai stated.
He emphasized his dedication to party unity once Tinubu emerged as the APC candidate.
“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 added.
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El-Rufai explained that his differences with Tinubu were primarily philosophical, rooted in contrasting approaches to governance.
“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,” he said.
He also noted that even if he had accepted Tinubu’s publicly offered ministerial role, he would have eventually left the government due to those fundamental differences in philosophy.