Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir el-Rufai has dismissed claims of any personal or political friendship with President Bola Tinubu, describing their paths as “parallel lines that will never meet.”
In a television interview reported by ENigeria Newspaper, the chieftain of the coalition-led African Democratic Congress (ADC) clarified that his support for Tinubu during the 2023 presidential election was motivated by party principle, not personal loyalty. He explained that backing Tinubu was part of a broader understanding within the All Progressives Congress (APC) to rotate power to the South after eight years of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.
El-Rufai said that although he campaigned actively to ensure Tinubu’s victory, fundamental differences in values and governance philosophy created an irreconcilable divide. “We didn’t fall out. We just could not find areas of agreement. There was no equilibrium,” he said.
Criticising the Tinubu administration, El-Rufai argued that its approach to public service, prioritising wealth accumulation and appointments of allies, contradicted his own principles of performance-driven governance and accountability.
He added that even if he had accepted a ministerial position offered by Tinubu, he would have left the government because of these philosophical differences.
“The philosophy of this government is contrary to everything I have been taught as a Muslim, as a northerner, and as a Nigerian,” he said. “These guys didn’t come to govern, they came to enrich themselves, pure and simple. We are different people. So it should not surprise anybody that knows me and knows Tinubu to see that we are parallel lines that will never meet.”
El-Rufai’s comments underscore a clear distinction between party loyalty during elections and personal alignment with political leadership, highlighting the growing debate over governance ethics and public service in Nigeria.
