Former Kaduna governor, Nasir el-Rufai, has revealed that he sought the counsel of former President Muhammadu Buhari before deciding to resign from the All Progressives Congress (APC).
On Monday, el-Rufai officially announced his defection to the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
Encouraging his supporters and other concerned citizens to join him in the SDP, the former governor stated that he rarely makes significant decisions without first seeking guidance from Buhari.
Speaking in an interview on BBC Hausa aired on Thursday, el-Rufai disclosed that the former president also offered prayers for him regarding his move.
“There are certain people that before I do any major thing or make any decision I consult, and anything they ask me not to do, I don’t do, and former President Muhammadu Buhari is among them,” el-Rufai said in Hausa.
“I consulted Buhari before leaving the APC. It was on a Friday when I went and met him. I hardly make any major decision without consulting him.
“I told him to pray for me and give me his blessings, which he did.
“Even when I was governor of Kaduna, before I appointed my commissioners, I took the list to Buhari for cross-checking to see if from among them someone ever insulted him.
“He (Buhari) laughed, thanked me and told me, ‘You can go ahead and appoint commissioners.’”
When asked if he considers anyone a father figure in politics, el-Rufai said he does not, but instead has a group from whom he seeks political advice.
He reiterated that his departure from the APC was due to the party’s departure from its founding principles.
“The APC has abandoned the principles that led to its establishment. It has abandoned the community,” he said.
“Everyone is doing their own thing. Everyone is looking for money. The government has become a business government.”
