Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has disowned President Bola Tinubu as a friend and accused him of committing impeachable offences, citing alleged unauthorized deductions of ₦1 billion monthly for security without National Assembly approval.
Speaking on Monday night during an interview on Arise TV, El-Rufai, once a key ally in Tinubu’s 2023 Presidential campaign, distanced himself from the President, saying: “Tinubu has never been my friend.”
He clarified that his support for Tinubu’s emergence as President was driven by political necessity and party zoning decisions, not personal loyalty. “I was closer to Bisi Akande. Tinubu was never my friend,” El-Rufai said as he said that “the Party zoned the presidency to the South, and I had to work for our candidate,” he said.
Addressing widespread controversies that trailed Tinubu’s candidacy in 2023, El-Rufai admitted he was fully aware of the lingering questions about the President’s identity, including his parentage, educational background, and even his name. But he downplayed the concerns, saying:
“Every saint has a past and every sinner has a future.”
El-Rufai said he supported Tinubu at the time because he believed in his competence, citing the former Lagos Governor’s performance in office from 1999 to 2007. He commended Tinubu for building a diverse, inclusive Government in Lagos, for prioritizing technocrats over political thugs, and for laying a strong developmental foundation for the State.
However, the former FCT Minister expressed deep regret over the state of the country under Tinubu’s leadership two years into his presidency.
“This Government is a capital disappointment. You cannot blame Governors for insecurity when, as president, you take ₦1 billion monthly without appropriation. That’s an impeachable offence,” El-Rufai charged.
He criticized Tinubu for shifting blame to State Governors, a stance he described as hypocritical, especially considering the president’s relentless criticism of former President Goodluck Jonathan during similar circumstances.
On the issue of increased Federal allocations to states, El-Rufai challenged Governors to show what they’ve done with the extra funds.
Using his own State as an example, he claimed that no major projects had been initiated in Kaduna since he left office. According to him, all the projects recently commissioned by President Tinubu during his visit to Kaduna were initiated by his administration and already 90% completed before he exited office.