* El-Rufai (left), Tinubu (right)
The Pathfinder
Monday, February 11, 2026
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Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has stated that he never had a personal friendship with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, clarifying that his support for Tinubu during the 2023 presidential election was purely political and driven by party considerations.
Speaking during an interview with Trust TV on Monday, El-Rufai said it was misleading to suggest that he once enjoyed a close personal relationship with the President.
“I was never Tinubu’s friend. We never had a personal relationship like the one I had with General Buhari,” he said.
According to El-Rufai, his decision to support Tinubu’s candidacy followed consultations with influential Islamic stakeholders from the South-West and long-standing zoning arrangements within the All Progressives Congress (APC).
“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 explained.
“As governor of Kaduna State and one of the founders of APC, I knew there was an understanding that after eight years of Buhari, power would return to the South.
It wasn’t about Tinubu; he was merely an accidental beneficiary,” El-Rufai added.
He said that once Tinubu emerged as the APC’s presidential candidate, he committed himself fully to the party’s campaign, in line with his 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,” he said.
“The fact that he emerged as the party’s candidate meant I would give everything to ensure he won.”
However, El-Rufai noted that differences between him and the President became evident after the election, attributing the rift to conflicting philosophies of 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,” he said.
“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 dismissed fears that defections by opposition governors to the ruling party could weaken resistance ahead of the 2027 general elections, insisting that incumbency does not guarantee electoral success.
“As the governor of Kaduna State, Tinubu lost. He didn’t win Kaduna. We lost three Senate seats,” he said, citing his experience to argue that political power ultimately rests with voters.
“The governor has only one vote.”
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