Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has stated that his support for President Bola Tinubu’s election in 2023 was purely for the sake of God, country, and party, and not for any personal gain.
El-Rufai was one of the key Northern governors within the All Progressives Congress (APC) who insisted that a Southerner should succeed former President Muhammadu Buhari. This stance played a significant role in Tinubu’s emergence as the APC candidate and his subsequent victory over Atiku Abubakar of the PDP and Peter Obi of the Labour Party in the presidential election.
Clash with Tinubu’s Camp
Recently, El-Rufai has been critical of Tinubu’s administration, leading to public exchanges between him and some presidential aides on social media platform X (formerly Twitter).
A user, @realYusufTukur, on Sunday, claimed that Tinubu and his allies had sought El-Rufai’s support before the election and praised him, but later accused him of not backing the president.
“When they were desperately seeking El-Rufai’s support, #officialABAT and his goons were everywhere singing Malam’s praises. Given their penchant for ingratitude, however, they’ve turned around to claim that Malam didn’t even support PBAT. But these testimonies say otherwise,” the tweet read.
In response, El-Rufai dismissed claims of expecting rewards for his political support, saying that unfolding events only reflect human nature.
“We did what we did for God, country, and party, expecting nothing in return. What is unfolding is merely another life experience and part of human nature. We have moved on, but their conscience won’t let them sleep well. Thanks anyway,” he wrote on X.
El-Rufai’s recent disagreements with the Tinubu administration have fueled speculation about his strained relationship with the presidency.
