El-Rufai had the right to shape his political choices, and we moreover have the right to build ours,” they stated.
They additionally rejected the recommendation that El-Rufai exclusive-handedly created the political structures that produced his electoral victories in Kaduna.
“El-Rufai did not produce Kaduna politics from nothing.
Former political associates and grassroots allies of former Kaduna Declare Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, have rejected accusations of betrayal, insisting that it was the former governor who abandoned the political understanding that brought them together.
The opinion, signed by former Deputy Speaker of the Kaduna Situation House of Assembly, Mukhtar Isa Hazo and other associates, was made accessible to journalists in Kaduna on Thursday.
The former allies, under the aegis of Kaduna De-Initiative, said they supported, campaigned for and defended El-Rufai, although helping to assemble political structures across the declare ahead of their tie became strained by alleged marginalisation, disagreements and loss of mutual trust.
The fixed moreover announced its outcome to the All Progressives Congress following Governor Uba Sani’s reconciliation initiative, saying the decision was based on the demand to take responsibility for their political upcoming and that of their supporters.
Additionally linked alongside the place is former Kaduna Condition Social Democratic Party chairman and four-time House of Assembly participant for Ungwan Sanusi Constituency, Nasiru Abdullahi Maikano.
Others involved in the realignment hold former commissioners Ja’afaru Sani, Shehu Usman Makarfi and Abdu Kwari, as well as former Commissioner for Regional Government Affairs and Finance and two-time Leader of Workers to El-Rufai, Bashir Saidu.
Rejecting the description of its members as disgruntled politicians seeking relevance, the category said, “We are not a handful of disgruntled individuals looking for political relevance.
“Our members have contested elections, won and lost elections, mobilised communities and built political relationships across the 23 area government areas of Kaduna Status.”
The group declared, “We did not abandon El-Rufai; rather, we believe El-Rufai abandoned the political understanding that had bound us together.”
The former allies traced the beginning of their differences together with El-Rufai to his second term as governor, alleging that some of his former political associates increasingly felt excluded from decision-making later than his re-election in 2019.
They too alleged that members of the former governor’s family gradually assumed elevated sway in government affairs.
“Our grievance was never that El-Rufai relied on members of his family or trusted associates. But we will not apologise for exercising our political independence.
“We are adults, and we have made our decision,” the category said.
Recall that El-Rufai has been in the custody of the Self-acceptable Corrupt Practices and Other Associated Offences Commission because February 18, 2026, in associate including an current investigation.
His continued detention has attracted community attention, alongside opposition figures and other political actors calling for his distribute and questioning the circumstances surrounding his drawn-out detention.
The worry was the growing dominance of family interests and the weakening of the wider political structure that had supported the administration,” they said.
According to the crew, the association was already seriously strained by 2023 and deteriorated continued once El-Rufai left office.
It identified the politics surrounding the 2027 governorship contest on the platform of the African Democratic Congress as the final rupture.
The category said former commissioner Ja’afaru Sani was regarded by its political camp as the preferred successor and the politician approximately whom its framework would be organised for the 2027 election.
“Ja’afaru Sani was the individual nearby whom our political arrangement was expected to rally for the 2027 governorship contest,” it said.
It alleged that El-Rufai, nonetheless, backed his former political rival, Isa Ashiru, during the ADC governorship initial.
“Instead of supporting the political arrangement we had built, El-Rufai chose to assist Isa Ashiru, a former political opponent,” the category alleged.
Ashiru subsequently emerged as the ADC candidate using 86,113 votes against Sani’s 29,580 votes, although Sani rejected the outcome and alleged irregularities.
The former associates further alleged that El-Rufai’s guide for Ashiru was linked to an activity to maintain political impact under a practical ADC administration.
They additionally alleged an understanding that two of El-Rufai’s wives would adopt appointments if the ADC won the election.
The category, yet, acknowledged that the allegation had not been independently accepted by a court or supported by a publicly documented agreement.
The former allies argued that political loyalty could not be treated as a permanent debt, saying El-Rufai had the right to produce political choices and that his former associates had the same right.
“Political loyalty cannot be treated as a permanent debt. There were politicians, grassroots organisers, former elected officials and settled political networks earlier than he emerged as the dominant political figure,” the collection said.
It cited Saidu as one of those involved in the political framework earlier than El-Rufai’s emergence and who later served as a commissioner and Manager of Employees in his administration.
The staff said its current realignment was not motivated by hatred or revenge.
“This is not regarding hatred. It is not around revenge. It is regarding taking responsibility for our political later and the upcoming of those who have followed us,” it said.
The former allies said they had accepted Sani’s reconciliation initiative and returned to the APC, adding that their political structures and grassroots supporters across the status would be portion of the realignment.
“We have accepted the reconciliation initiative and returned to the APC.
“We are not interested in turning our disagreement together with El-Rufai into a subjective war.
Source: El-Rufai ex-allies reject betrayal claims, return to APC
