No Regrets Supporting Tinubu, But Deep Disappointment Remains – El-Rufai

KADUNA, KADUNA STATE, NIGERIA – Former Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, has stated that while he does not regret supporting President Bola Tinubu’s presidential ambition, he feels deeply disappointed by the treatment he has received under the All Progressives Congress (APC) administration.

Speaking recently during an interview with BBC Hausa, El-Rufai clarified that his ministerial ordeal was not the reason he parted ways with the APC. Instead, he maintained that the party had abandoned its founding principles, leaving him feeling disillusioned.

El-Rufai revealed that he was aware of individuals who allegedly paid to secure ministerial appointments within the APC-led government. He emphasized that his exit from the party was not motivated by a lack of ministerial appointment, but rather by the deviation of the party from its ideals.

“Did I seek to be minister? I know people who paid to get ministerial appointments”, El-Rufai asserted. According to El-Rufai, the APC has strayed far from the principles upon which it was established. He described the party as prioritizing personal interests and wealth accumulation over genuine governance and service to the people.

“The APC abandoned the ideals that led to its formation. It has abandoned the people. Everyone is now pursuing personal interests and wealth. The government has become a business enterprise where everything has a price”, he lamented.

The former governor alleged that key appointments within the administration are controlled by a select group of individuals from Lagos, reinforcing his belief that fairness and justice are no longer upheld by the party.

“There is no justice. Those who worked for the party are not recognised, let alone rewarded. Appointments are now controlled by a select group from Lagos. The party is dead”, he declared.

Before making his decision to leave the party, El-Rufai disclosed that he consulted several prominent political figures, including former President Muhammadu Buhari, Tunde Bakare, Abdullahi Adamu, Adams Oshiomhole, and Bisi Akande, to seek their perspectives on the matter.

According to him, it would have been easier if the APC had officially dismissed him, as it would have spared him from having to explain the reasons for his departure. Instead, he believed that the party abandoned him and its foundationa

l ideals.