El-Rufai Speaks On Silence Of Former Allies Amid Detention

Former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has addressed the silence of some former colleagues, friends and associates who have not publicly supported him amid his ongoing legal troubles and detention.

El-Rufai spoke in a statement titled: “My Relationships and the Aftermath,” posted on his official Facebook page where he acknowledged concerns over the response of people he had previously supported or maintained close relationships with.

He said his decisions to support individuals and causes over the years were guided by his Islamic faith, Arewa upbringing, personal values and conscience.

“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.

The former governor, however, said he never offered his support with the expectation that those beneficiaries would repay him with praise, gratitude or similar backing when he faced difficulties.

He said those he had supported were entitled to decide how they wished to respond to his present circumstances, including whether to support him, remain silent or distance themselves from previous relationships.

“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.

El-Rufai said his experience had reinforced the idea that difficult periods can reveal the nature and strength of relationships.

“Adversity has a way of illuminating relationships,” he said, adding that the experience could lead him to quietly reassess some relationships and consider what people who look up to him might expect from those relationships.

He stressed, however, that such reflection should not be interpreted as condemnation or blame.

The former governor maintained that he had no regrets about supporting people or causes whenever he believed doing so was the right thing to do.

On what he described as injustice, ingratitude or injury against him, El-Rufai said he was not interested in seeking revenge.

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

He added that individuals would eventually have to live with the consequences of their decisions and that history would ultimately judge them.

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

LEADERSHIP reports El-Rufai has been in the custody of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) since February following his arrest over allegations the commission said relate to financial misconduct, money laundering and abuse of office. The ICPC obtained court-authorised remand orders as it pursued its investigation. The former governor has challenged his detention and the actions of the authorities, while denying wrongdoing.

His separate fundamental-rights suit against the ICPC, Inspector-General of Police and Attorney-General of the Federation, in which he is seeking N1 billion in damages, was adjourned by the Federal High Court in Abuja on September 21 to October 27, 2026.

El-Rufai has also accused the Tinubu administration of witch-hunting him, a claim the government and relevant authorities have disputed.