Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has expressed disappointment over what he described as the abandonment of some close associates who, according to him, benefited from his support and personal sacrifices over the years.
El-Rufai made the remarks in a statement shared on social media as he marked 218 days in detention amid ongoing legal proceedings relating to alleged unlawful interception of telephone communications involving National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.
The former governor said he had no intention of seeking revenge against anyone he believes may have wronged or abandoned him.
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“As for any injustice, ingratitude or injury done to me, I seek neither revenge nor retribution. Ultimate accountability belongs to Almighty Allah, and I leave that judgment to Him, in this world and in the Hereafter,” he said.
Reflecting on his relationships and past decisions, El-Rufai said he had consistently supported people and causes he believed in, even when doing so came at a personal cost.
“Over the years, I have stood by people and for causes I believed in, sometimes in difficult circumstances and at considerable personal cost,” he stated.
According to him, those decisions were made because he considered them the right thing to do, rather than for the expectation of gratitude or reciprocal support.
“I did so not in expectation of praise, gratitude or reciprocity, but because I believed it was right. Those were choices I made freely, and I remain answerable for them,” he added.
The former governor said his experience in detention had also given him an opportunity to reassess some of his relationships and expectations.
“Adversity has a way of illuminating relationships,” El-Rufai said, adding that the events of the past few months could lead him to quietly reconsider “the nature of certain relationships and what those that look up to me expect of them.”
He, however, stressed that his reflections should not be interpreted as an attack on those individuals.
“That is neither reproach nor condemnation; it is simply part of seeing people, and life, more clearly,” he said.
El-Rufai has been in custody since February 2026 following investigations by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) into allegations arising from his tenure as Kaduna governor.
The ICPC has maintained that his detention was authorised by a court through remand orders.
Separately, the former governor is facing a five-count charge brought by the Department of State Services (DSS) over the alleged interception of Ribadu’s telephone communications. El-Rufai has pleaded not guilty to the charges and has challenged the prosecution’s case.
On September 22, 2026, the Federal High Court in Abuja adjourned proceedings until October 26 to rule on his no-case submission.
The case stems partly from comments El-Rufai made during a February 2026 television interview in which he said that someone had listened to conversations involving Ribadu. Prosecutors have relied on the comments as part of their case, while El-Rufai has disputed the interpretation placed on his remarks.
