Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has said he will not judge or resent friends, colleagues and family members who have chosen not to support him amid his current legal challenges.
El-Rufai stated this in a personal statement titled, “My Relationships and the Aftermath,” dated September 23, 2026.
The former governor said some people had expressed concern over the silence of individuals he had previously supported or closely associated with.
He said his support for colleagues, friends, family members and causes over the years was guided by his Islamic faith, Arewa upbringing, personal values and conscience, rather than an expectation 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. I did so not in expectation of praise, gratitude or reciprocity, but because I believed it was right,” he said.
El-Rufai said those he had supported were free to make their own choices now that circumstances had changed.
He noted that while some people might speak out, others could remain silent, deny their relationships or attempt to rewrite history.
According to him, he would not judge them simply because their reactions differed from what he or others might have expected.
“Adversity has a way of illuminating relationships,” he said, adding that his experiences in recent months might lead him to reconsider the nature of certain relationships.
He stressed that such reconsideration would not amount to condemnation or reproach, but rather a clearer understanding of people and life.
El-Rufai said he had no regrets about standing by people or causes he believed in and bore no resentment towards those who chose not to do the same for him.
“I would rather remain true to the principles that have guided my own conduct than allow the conduct of others to redefine them,” he said.
The former governor also said he was not seeking revenge or retribution over any injustice, ingratitude or injury done to him.
“Ultimate accountability belongs to Almighty Allah, and I leave that judgment to Him, in this world and in the hereafter,” he stated.
El-Rufai is facing legal proceedings over allegations linked to his tenure as Kaduna governor between 2015 and 2023. The allegations include claims of financial misconduct, which he has denied.
He has also been charged in a separate case over the alleged interception of telephone communications involving National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu. El-Rufai pleaded not guilty to the charges.
In the wiretapping case, the Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed October 26, 2026, to rule on his no-case submission.
The former governor had earlier been detained by the ICPC in connection with an ongoing investigation.
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