Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai has said he bears no resentment towards friends, associates and family members who have remained silent amid his ongoing legal challenges.
El-Rufai made the comments in a statement titled “My Relationships and the Aftermath,” dated September 23, 2026, in which he reflected on the reactions of people he had previously supported or worked closely with.
He said his decision to stand by people and causes over the years was guided by his Islamic faith, Arewa upbringing, personal values and conscience, rather than expectations of praise or reciprocity.
“Over the years, I have stood by people and for causes I believed in, sometimes in difficult circumstances and at considerable personal cost,” he said.
According to him, those he had supported were now free to decide how to respond to his present circumstances.
He said some might speak in his support, while others could remain silent, distance themselves from him or even deny past relationships.
“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.
El-Rufai said the experience of the past few months had given him an opportunity to reassess some of his relationships, but stressed that such reflection should not be interpreted as condemnation.
“Adversity has a way of illuminating relationships,” he said, adding that he might “quietly and without regret” reconsider the nature of certain relationships.
The former governor said he had no regrets about supporting people or causes when he believed it was the right thing to do.
“I bear no resentment towards anyone who chooses not to do the same for me,” he said.
He added that he would rather remain guided by his principles than allow the actions of others to determine his own conduct.
Addressing what he described as any injustice, ingratitude or injury against him, El-Rufai said he was not seeking revenge or retribution.
“Ultimate accountability belongs to Almighty Allah, and I leave that judgment to Him, in this world and in the Hereafter,” he said.
He added that his main concern was to remain at peace with his conscience and with God.
The statement comes amid ongoing legal proceedings involving the former governor. A Federal High Court in Abuja recently fixed October 26 to rule on his no-case submission in a separate case involving alleged unlawful telephone interception. El-Rufai has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
El-Rufai governed Kaduna State from 2015 to 2023.
