‘I hold no grudge against those who chose not to stand by me’ – El-Rufai

Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai has spoken about the silence of some friends, associates and family members whom he said he had supported at different points in the past.

El-Rufai said he holds no grudge against those who have chosen not to publicly support or stand by him.

The former governor made the remarks in a statement titled “My Relationships and the Aftermath,” which he shared on X on Wednesday.

He said some people had recently raised concerns about the silence of individuals who had been close to him or benefited from his support and public backing in the past.

El-Rufai, however, said he understood the different choices people make and would not allow the actions of those who have remained silent to affect his relationships with them.

“Over the years, I have stood by people and for causes I believed in, sometimes in difficult circumstances and at considerable personal cost. I did so not in expectation of praise, gratitude or reciprocity, but because I believed it was right,” he said.

El-Rufai said those he had supported were free to decide how to respond to his current circumstances.

“Some may speak; others may remain silent. Others may even deny our relationship or try rewriting history. 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.

“Adversity has a way of illuminating relationships,” El-Rufai said, adding that what he had learnt during the period could cause him to “reconsider the nature of certain relationships.”

He stressed that such reflection should not be interpreted as condemnation.

“That is neither reproach nor condemnation; it is simply part of seeing people, and life, more clearly,” he said.

El-Rufai said he had no regrets about supporting people or causes when he believed it was the right thing to do, and would not allow the actions of others to change the principles that guided him.

“I have no regrets about standing by people or for causes when I believed it was right to do so, and I bear no resentment towards anyone who chooses not to do the same for me,” he said.

“As for any injustice, ingratitude or injury done to me, I seek neither revenge nor retribution. Ultimate accountability belongs to Almighty Allah, and I leave that judgment to Him, in this world and in the Hereafter,” he said.

El-Rufai concluded by saying that everyone would ultimately have to live with the choices they made, while posterity would judge their actions.

“In the end, each of us must live with the choices we make, and posterity will render whatever verdict it sees fit. My only concern is to remain at peace with my conscience and, above all, with Almighty Allah,” he said.

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