“I Bear No Resentment Towards Anyone Who Chooses Not to Stand by Me” — El-Rufai

Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai has broken his silence on the absence of some former associates and friends during his ongoing legal troubles, saying he has no bitterness towards those who have chosen not to publicly support him.

In a statement titled “My Relationships and the Aftermath,” the former governor reflected on how difficult periods can expose the strength of personal relationships, while making it clear that he does not expect people he once supported to automatically repay that support.

El-Rufai said his own decisions to stand behind individuals and causes over the years were driven by his faith, upbringing in the Arewa region, personal convictions and conscience rather than an expectation that those people would one day return the favour.

He said there were occasions when he defended people or causes despite the personal cost, because he believed doing so was the right thing to do.

The former governor maintained that those individuals now have the same freedom to decide how they respond to his present circumstances.

“Over the years, I have stood by people and for causes I believed in, sometimes in difficult circumstances and at considerable personal cost,” he said.

“But I did so because I believed it was right, not because I expected praise, gratitude or reciprocity.”

According to El-Rufai, some people may choose to speak out in his defence, while others may remain quiet or deliberately distance themselves from relationships they previously maintained with him.

He said he had no intention of condemning people simply because their reactions were different from what he or others might have expected.

“Their reasons are their own, and I do not wish to judge them merely because their response differs from what others or even I might have expected,” he said.

The former governor acknowledged that his current circumstances had given him an opportunity to take a closer look at some of his relationships.

“Adversity has a way of illuminating relationships,” he said, adding that the experience could lead him to reconsider some associations “quietly and without regret.”

Advertisement

El-Rufai, however, stressed that such reflection should not be interpreted as an attempt to attack or punish anyone.

Rather, he said, it was a personal assessment of the lessons that difficult circumstances had revealed about people and relationships.

“I bear no resentment towards anyone who chooses not to do the same for me,” he said.

The former governor added that he would not allow the conduct of others to alter the principles that had guided his own life.

He also addressed the possibility of perceived injustice or betrayal, saying he was not interested in seeking revenge against those he believes may have wronged him.

“Ultimate accountability belongs to Almighty Allah, and I leave that judgment to Him, in this world and in the Hereafter,” El-Rufai said.

His remarks come amid his continuing legal battles with Nigerian authorities. A Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday reserved ruling until October 26 on his no-case submission in an alleged wiretapping case brought by the Department of State Services (DSS). El-Rufai has pleaded not guilty to the amended five-count charge.

He is also pursuing a separate fundamental-rights case against the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), the Inspector-General of Police and the Attorney-General of the Federation. The suit, in which he is seeking ₦1 billion in damages, has been adjourned until October 27.

El-Rufai has previously criticised the Tinubu administration over his treatment, alleging that the investigations against him amount to a political witch-hunt. Those allegations remain his position, while the authorities involved have maintained that the legal proceedings are based on investigations and court-authorised processes. The ICPC, for instance, has said his detention was authorised by a court remand order and that it has acted within the law.

Concluding his statement, the former governor said his primary concern was not how others respond to his difficulties but whether he remained faithful to his own conscience and religious convictions.

“My only concern is to remain at peace with my conscience and, above all, with Almighty Allah,” he said.

He added that, ultimately, individuals would have to live with the choices they make, while history and future generations would form their own judgments about those choices.