Former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has said he stood by his former colleagues, friends and family members at a “considerable personal cost.”
El-Rufai said that despite standing by them during their difficulties, some of his former colleagues, friends and family members have now gone silent amid his current legal and political travail.
In a statement titled “My Relationships and the Aftermath,” dated September 23, 2026, El-Rufai said he had always been guided by his Islamic faith, Arewa upbringing, personal values and conscience.
He said his support for people was never based on expectations of praise, gratitude or reciprocity, stressing that those were choices he made freely and remained responsible for.
El-Rufai acknowledged that some people may now choose to speak, remain silent, deny relationships or “try rewriting history.”
He said, “Some people have mentioned that they are worried about the quiet behaviour of some colleagues, friends and family members whom I used to support or have close ties with publicly.
“My own opinion about this is pretty straightforward, and I’m going to share it now.
“Throughout my life, I’ve tried to do my best for my co-workers and friends, my family, and people everywhere, based on my Islamic beliefs, my roots in Arewa, my personal values and, most importantly, my conscience.
“Over the years, I have supported people and stood up for causes I believed in, even when things were tough and it cost me a lot personally.
“I did it not because I expected praise, thanks or anything in return, but because I thought it was the right thing to do. Those were decisions I made on my own, and I am still responsible for them.
“In the same way, the people I have supported are now free to make their own decisions since the situation has changed. Some may speak; others may remain silent.
“Some people might even refuse to acknowledge our relationship or attempt to rewrite the past. What I’ve learned during tough times, like the last few months, might make me quietly think again about some relationships and what people who look up to me expect from them.”
El-Rufai laments silence of friends, ex-colleagues amid his legal, political troubles