Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has revealed that ex-President Muhammadu Buhari compelled him to contest for governor despite his initial reluctance.
Speaking on Arise TV’s Prime Time on Monday, El-Rufai disclosed that he never had political ambitions but was persuaded by Buhari to run.
“I have never had an ambition. You can ask Buhari—he forced me to run for governor of Kaduna State because I was afraid of running,” he said.
El-Rufai described himself as a technocrat, not a typical politician. “I’m a worker. Others run for office, and when difficult assignments arise, they look for people like me to get the job done. Myself, Oby, and Ngozi are not the type to stand on a podium and tell people to vote for us. That’s not our nature; that’s not our training.”
He further revealed that after the formation of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Buhari personally urged him to join the gubernatorial race. “I said, ‘No, sir, I don’t have that skill set—my skills are technocratic.’ But he insisted,” El-Rufai recounted.
The former governor also hinted at a possible defection if the APC fails to uphold its founding values. “I will remain in politics for life, but that doesn’t mean I will be contesting elections. If I can’t find the values I stand for in the APC, I may have to find another platform to pursue them,” he warned.
El-Rufai called on the APC leadership to realign with its core principles, noting that many party members no longer recognize the party. “Sooner or later, if the APC doesn’t sort itself out and return to the values I stand for, I will find another platform with similar values and move on,” he concluded.
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