Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, says he does not harbour resentment against former associates, friends or family members who have chosen not to support him during his current circumstances.
El-Rufai, a former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, stated this in a message titled “My Relationships and the Aftermath” shared on his X handle on Wednesday.
He said his decision to stand by people and causes over the years was motivated by his Islamic faith, upbringing, personal values and conscience, rather than an expectation of appreciation or reciprocal support.
“Over the years, I have stood by people and for causes I believed in, sometimes in difficult circumstances and at considerable personal cost. I did so not in expectation of praise, gratitude or reciprocity, but because I believed it was right,” he said.
The former governor acknowledged that people he had previously supported were entitled to decide how they would respond to his present situation.
According to him, while some may choose to speak in his defence, others may remain silent or distance themselves from relationships they once had with him.
“Those I have supported are free to make their own choices now that circumstances are reversed. Some may speak; others may remain silent. Others may even deny our relationship or try rewriting history,” El-Rufai said.
He added that he would not judge people simply because their reactions differed from what he or others might have expected.
El-Rufai, however, said his experiences in recent months had prompted him to reassess some of his relationships and consider what people who look up to him expect from those around them.
“Adversity has a way of illuminating relationships,” he said.
He stressed that his reflections should not be interpreted as an attack or condemnation of anyone.
“That is neither reproach nor condemnation; it is simply part of seeing people, and life, more clearly,” he said.
The former governor said he remained convinced that supporting people or causes he believed in was the right thing to do, regardless of how those individuals subsequently treated him.
“I have no regrets about standing by people or for causes when I believed it was right to do so, and I bear no resentment towards anyone who chooses not to do the same for me,” he said.
On what he described as possible injustice, ingratitude or injury against him, El-Rufai said he would not pursue revenge.
“As for any injustice, ingratitude or injury done to me, I seek neither revenge nor retribution. Ultimate accountability belongs to Almighty Allah, and I leave that judgment to Him, in this world and in the Hereafter,” he said.
El-Rufai said his principal concern was to maintain peace with his conscience and his faith.
“In the end, each of us must live with the choices we make, and posterity will render whatever verdict it sees fit. My only concern is to remain at peace with my conscience and, above all, with Almighty Allah,” he added.
