Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has spoken about the decision by some of his former friends, associates and political allies to remain silent while he faces what he described as difficult circumstances.
El-Rufai said he was aware that some people he had supported or stood by in the past had not publicly offered him the same support, but insisted that he would not hold their decisions against them.
He explained that throughout his public life, his support for individuals and causes had not been based on expectations that those people would later repay him.
“Over the years, I have stood by people and for causes I believed in, sometimes in difficult circumstances and at considerable personal cost,” El-Rufai said in a statement titled “My Relationships and the Aftermath.”
According to him, his actions were largely shaped by his Islamic faith, his Arewa upbringing, his personal values and his conscience.
He said he had supported people because he believed it was the right thing to do, rather than because he expected recognition, appreciation or reciprocal support when he eventually needed it.
El-Rufai acknowledged that some of the people he had previously supported might now choose to speak on his behalf, while others could decide to stay away from the controversy surrounding him.
“Their reasons are their own, and I do not wish to judge them merely because their response differs from what others or even I might have expected,” he said.
The former governor said difficult periods could expose the strength or limitations of relationships, adding that his experience in recent months had given him reasons to reconsider some associations.
“Adversity has a way of illuminating relationships,” he said.
El-Rufai added that he might “quietly and without regret” reassess certain relationships and also consider what people who look up to him should expect from such relationships.
The former governor said he remained comfortable with the decisions he had made in the past, including his decision to stand by people when he believed they needed his support.
“I bear no resentment towards anyone who chooses not to do the same for me,” he said.
He also rejected the idea that the silence of former allies should cause him to abandon the principles that had guided him throughout his life.
El-Rufai said he would continue to act according to his convictions instead of allowing the conduct of other people to determine his own behaviour.
“Ultimate accountability belongs to Almighty Allah, and I leave that judgment to Him, in this world and in the Hereafter,” he said.
“My only concern is to remain at peace with my conscience and, above all, with Almighty Allah,” he added.
His statement comes amid a series of legal battles involving the former governor and the Federal Government.
El-Rufai has challenged the search of his Abuja residence by operatives of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission and the police on February 19.
He is seeking N1 billion in damages in a fundamental rights suit before the Federal High Court in Abuja, arguing that the search and seizure violated his constitutional rights.
The Federal Government has rejected his claims. Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, has asked the court to dismiss the suit, arguing that El-Rufai failed to establish sufficient legal and evidential grounds for the reliefs he is seeking.
The ICPC and police have also maintained that the search was lawfully conducted as part of an investigation and pursuant to a warrant issued by a competent court.
The court has adjourned the fundamental rights case until October 27 for definite hearing.
