Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai has said he was never friends with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and clarified that his support for the president’s 2023 presidential bid was based on political arrangements, not personal friendship, El-Rufai said in an interview on Trust TV on Monday.

El-Rufai’s remarks come amid public interest in relationships among senior political figures within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). He spoke on Trust TV about perceptions of his relationship with President Tinubu.

The 2023 presidential election saw Tinubu elected as president under the APC platform, with support from various party members and leaders across Nigeria.

In the interview, El-Rufai said it was incorrect to assume he and Tinubu had a close personal relationship prior to or after the 2023 elections. He said his support at that time was grounded in political considerations within the party’s framework.

El-Rufai noted that his relationship with Tinubu was different from his personal relationship with former President Muhammadu Buhari, whom he described as a friend.

El-Rufai said: “I was never Tinubu’s friend. We never had a personal relationship like the one I had with General Buhari.”

El-Rufai’s clarification on his relationship with President Tinubu highlights how political alliances and personal relationships are discussed among senior political figures, particularly within the APC.

The distinction between political support and personal friendship may shape public understanding of intra-party dynamics