Former Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai has stated that he got the blessings and prayer of former President Muhammad Buhari before decamping from the stable of the ruling party, All Progressives Congress, APC.
El-Rufai has announced his dumping of APC for the Social Democratic Party, SDP.
The one-Minister if the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja stated this in an interview with BBC Hausa monitored Thursday.
According to El-Rufai, I met with the former President on Friday, March 7 and informed him about my plan to leave the ruling party.
He said, “I consulted the former President because he was among the few people l recognizes as political godfathers, capable of stopping my political decisions.
“I met with him [Buhari] on Friday, and told him about my consultations in preparation to leave the party. I sought his blessing and prayers and told him about the new party I am joining. And he gave his blessing, prayers and wished me success.
“He [Buhari] told me that he is now a statesman, and we are the politicians. He said he knew we had good intention, and then prayed for us.
“What next? I quit their party, and challenged them to eat the party if it is food,” Mr El-Rufai said.
Asked by the BBC whether he quickly left the APC in order to avoid expulsion, El-Rufai said he wished he was sacked instead.
“Well, it would have been better for me if they expelled me. I have stated many times that APC would be my last political party. Had they expelled me, they would have saved me the troubles of explaining why I left the APC. As I said, I have not left the APC, but the APC rather left me,” the former Governor said.
El-Rufai also debunked insinuations that he left the APC because he was not appointed minister by the Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration.
He said, I never lobbied to become a minister. That was what they always said. But the question is: Did I lobby to become a minister? I know those who paid money to become ministers.
“Perhaps if he [President Tinubu] privately made a promise to appoint me, he would have denied it. But he publicly begged me in Kaduna to come and work with him. Even at that, I did not accept his request until we sat privately to discuss the issue.
“He [Tinubu] said power problem has become an issue to Nigeria’s development. And successive leaders have failed to solve the problem.
“He [Tinubu] sought my support to achieving his dream of becoming the president who solves the power problem.
“It was in the light of this challenge, I accepted to consider working with him. I thought he was he serious,” El-Rufai said.
On whether Tinubu betrayed him by not appointing him minister, El-Rufai said, “No, he betrayed himself”.
This is as he expressed no regret supporting Tinubu becoming president. He said, “Well, I can’t say I regretted, but I am disappointed.”