El-Rufai Denies ‘Godfather’ Role, Says He Has No Relationship With Governor Uba Sani

Former Kaduna State governor, Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai, has dismissed claims that he was the political godfather of his successor, Governor Uba Sani, insisting that he had no interest in influencing or controlling any successor after leaving office.

Speaking during an interview on Trust TV on Monday, El-Rufai stated categorically: “Governor Uba Sani is not my godson. I don’t care about my successor. I’m not interested in being a godfather. I have not called Uba Sani since I left office as governor. I have no relationship with him.”

Reacting to questions on the recurring fallout between political godfathers and their godsons, El-Rufai argued that such conflicts were often misunderstood and exaggerated, stressing that power dynamics naturally change once authority is transferred.

“Let me tell you something a former military president told me. He said even if your biological son sits in that chair of power, the first day he will greet you as his father, the second day he will sit in his seat, and the third day, if you don’t greet him respectfully, bad things can happen. That is the nature of power,” he stated.

El-Rufai said this lesson, learned early in his life, shaped his strong opposition to godfatherism. “So I have never believed in godfatherism. Never. I was an outspoken opponent of it,” he noted.

The former governor recalled that his criticism of godfatherism once attracted backlash, particularly from political actors in Lagos State. “I even went to Lagos and answered questions about godfatherism that led to attacks. The Tinubu wolves went after me because they thought I was talking about him. But I was talking about a principle: when you have power, exercise it for public good, and when you’re done, leave,” he said.

El-Rufai further cited his personal record to support his claims, saying he deliberately distanced himself from offices he once held. “When I left BPE, I did not go back there for 23 years. Since I left the FCT, I never went there until a former classmate became minister and invited me. When I do a job, I do it and move on,” he said.

On his exit from Kaduna Government House, El-Rufai said he made his intentions clear to Governor Uba Sani even before the election. “I told him that once we get you elected, we hand over and I’m gone. I will not even visit Kaduna for the first six months to give you space to settle down,” he stated.

He maintained that there has been no communication between him and his successor governor since he left office. “I have never called Uba Sani since I left office. Never. Not once. He is the one to call me if he wants advice,” El-Rufai said, adding that he could not recall the last time the governor reached out to him. “It must have been more than two years ago, close to three years.”

Asked whether the relationship had soured, El-Rufai responded bluntly: “We have no relationship.”

On the parallel drawn between the political rift in Kaduna and the recent fallout between Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso and Kano State governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, El-Rufai cautioned against sweeping comparisons.

“Context matters,” he said. “I can speak about Kaduna because I know the facts. I don’t know what happened in Kano, and even if I did, I would not want to go into it. These things happen in politics. Don’t be surprised if they reconcile in a year.”

He concluded by urging restraint in political judgement, noting that “unless you have all the facts, you should be very slow in making judgements.”