Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has spoken about the silence of some of his former colleagues, friends, and associates while he is in detention. El-Rufai stated that he does not resent those who have chosen not to stand by him. He made this statement in a release titled “My Relationships and the Aftermath.” El-Rufai has been in detention for 220 days.
El-Rufai said his decision to support people and causes throughout his life was guided by his Islamic faith, Arewa upbringing, personal values, and conscience. He noted that he had stood by people and causes he believed in, even in difficult circumstances and at considerable personal cost. This, he said, was not motivated by expectations of praise, gratitude, or reciprocity.
The former governor said those he had supported were equally free to make their own choices now that their circumstances had changed. He noted that some might speak in his support, while others might remain silent or even distance themselves from relationships they previously shared. El-Rufai added that their reasons were their own, and he did not wish to judge them.
El-Rufai stated that difficult circumstances could reveal the nature of relationships. He said the experience of the past few months might cause him to reconsider some relationships. The former governor added that what he had learnt during the difficult period could lead him to “quietly and without regret” reassess certain relationships and what people who look up to him expect from them.
El-Rufai stressed that such reassessment should not be interpreted as condemnation or reproach. He said he had no regrets about supporting people or causes whenever he believed doing so was right. The former governor added that he would rather remain faithful to the principles that had guided his conduct than allow the actions of others to change those principles.
On any perceived injustice, ingratitude, or injury against him, El-Rufai said he was not seeking revenge or retribution. He stated that ultimate accountability belongs to Almighty Allah, and he leaves that judgment to Him, in this world and in the Hereafter. El-Rufai concluded by saying that everyone would ultimately have to live with the choices they made, while posterity would form its own judgment.
El-Rufai's statement comes amid his 220-day detention, which he claims is a witchhunt by the Tinubu administration. He said his only concern is to remain at peace with his conscience and, above all, with Almighty Allah.
Key points
- El-Rufai has been in detention for 220 days.
- El-Rufai's detention is attributed to a witchhunt by the Tinubu administration.
- El-Rufai bears no resentment towards those who choose not to support him.
