Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai has addressed the decision of some former colleagues, friends and associates to distance themselves from him amid the circumstances he has faced in recent months.
El-Rufai, who also previously served as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, said he bears neither hatred nor resentment toward those who have chosen not to stand by him.
The former governor made his position known in a statement titled “My Relationships and the Aftermath,” which he published on his X account on Wednesday.
El-Rufai said his relationships and support for people over the years were guided by his Islamic faith, Arewa upbringing, personal values and conscience rather than expectations of praise, gratitude or reciprocity.
According to him, he had stood by people and causes he believed in, including during difficult circumstances and at considerable personal cost.
He said he did so because he considered such actions right, rather than because he expected those individuals to repay his support whenever his own circumstances changed.
The former governor acknowledged that people he had previously supported were entitled to make their own decisions about how they would respond to his present situation.
He said some might choose to speak in his support, while others could remain silent or distance themselves from relationships they previously maintained.
El-Rufai also acknowledged that some people could deny previous relationships or attempt to reinterpret their shared history, but said he did not intend to judge them simply because their responses differed from what others might have expected.
He said the experiences of recent months had prompted him to reflect more deeply on some of his relationships and the expectations people who look up to him may have concerning loyalty and support.
According to the former governor, adversity can reveal aspects of relationships that may not have been apparent under ordinary circumstances.
He, however, stressed that such personal reflection should not be interpreted as an accusation, reproach or condemnation of those whose actions had disappointed him.
El-Rufai said the experience had instead contributed to a clearer understanding of people and life, while allowing him to reconsider the nature of certain relationships.
He maintained that he had no regrets about standing by people or causes whenever he genuinely believed doing so was the right thing to do.
The former governor also said he would not allow the choices of other people to alter the principles that had guided his own decisions over the years.
El-Rufai further addressed what he described as injustice, ingratitude or injury that may have been done to him, saying he would not pursue revenge or retribution.
He said ultimate accountability belonged to Almighty Allah and that he was prepared to leave judgment over such matters to God both in this life and the hereafter.
The former governor's comments come amid a period in which his political relationships and activities have attracted considerable public attention.
Rather than identifying the individuals he believed had abandoned him, El-Rufai focused his statement on his personal response to their choices and the principles he said would continue to guide him.
He said every individual was ultimately responsible for the choices they make and the consequences that follow from them.
El-Rufai concluded by saying his primary concern was to remain at peace with his conscience and with Almighty Allah.
His statement therefore presents his response as one of personal reflection and acceptance rather than a call for retaliation against people who have chosen not to support him during his current circumstances.