“I Don’t Care What My Enemies Think,” El-Rufai Fires Fresh Shot at Critics

“I Don’t Care What My Enemies Think,” El-Rufai Fires Fresh Shot at Critics

  • An interview granted by the former governor of Kaduna state, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, has continued to generate conversations in the polity
  • In the interview, held on Sunday, El-Rufai hit back at his critics who described him as a fundamentalist
  • The former governor also set the record straight regarding his leadership style, particularly in parts of Southern Kaduna

Legit.ng journalist Esther Odili has over two years of experience covering political parties and movements.

On Sunday, August 31, the immediate past governor of Kaduna state, Nasir El-Rufai, disclosed that he is unperturbed by those who consider him a fundamentalist.

Nasir El-Rufai taunts critics who describe him as a fundamentalist during an interview with Channels TV on Sunday, August 31, 2025.
Ex-Kaduna governor Nasir El-Rufai replies to critics who describe him as a fundamentalist during an interview with Channels TV on Sunday, August 31, 2025. Photo credit: Nasir El-Rufai
Source: Facebook

El-Rufai tackles critics

El-Rufai made this assertion in an interview on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics.

According to the former governor, those who hold such an opinion neither know him personally nor have worked with him.

“I don’t care. The people who think I am a fundamentalist don’t know me; they have never met me; they have formed their opinion.

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“Frankly, the reason why my enemies are very vehement at hating me is because I don’t care what they think. It’s the way I am. I am very comfortable with what I am. I don’t care what you think. Those who work with me know me,” El-Rufai said on Sunday.
Nasir El-Rufai addresses speculations surrounding his style of leadership in Kaduna state during an interview with Channels TV on Sunday, August 31, 2025.
Nasir El-Rufai replies to critics of his style of leadership in Kaduna state during an interview with Channels TV on Sunday, August 31, 2025. Photo credit: Nasir El-Rufai
Source: Facebook

When asked about perceptions in parts of Southern Kaduna that his leadership style reflected hostility towards them, El-Rufai rejected the notion.

“They can think what they think. I don’t tolerate nonsense; governance is not a joke,” he stated.

Speaking further, El-Rufai explained that during his administration, he stopped several irregular practices and cut down wasteful government spending.

Watch El-Rufai's interview below;

Tinubu will come 3rd in 2027 election - El-Rufai

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Nasir El-Rufai cast doubt on President Bola Tinubu’s chances in the upcoming 2027 presidential election, asserting that the incumbent leader would, at best, finish third.

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In an interview on Sunday, El-Rufai suggested that the election might not be decided in the first round, and predicted that Tinubu would not make it to the runoff.

El-Rufai, who was once a prominent campaigner for Tinubu, said the president’s current political trajectory lacked a viable path to victory.

El-Rufai dumps APC for ADC

Meanwhile, Legit.ng reported that in June 2025, El-Rufai officially resigned from the All Progressives Congress (APC) and joined the Social Democratic Party (SDP). The former Kaduna state governor joined Atiku Abubakar and other major opposition leaders, including Labour Party’s Peter Obi, to form a coalition under the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

The alliance is expected to challenge President Tinubu in the 2027 election.

Read more about El-Rufai here:

Read also

"I know evil when I see it": Again, El-Rufai fires direct shots at Tinubu's govt, calls him 'old man'

ADC supporters welcome El-Rufai to Kaduna

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that on Wednesday, August 13, ADC supporters stormed the streets to warmly receive Mallam Nasir El-Rufai.

A viral video showed a mammoth crowd gathered in Rido, Chikun local government Area in Kaduna, welcoming El-Rufai during a rally for the House of Representatives candidate, Alex Adanu.

Mixed reactions have trailed El-Rufai's visit, as many wondered if the former governor had dumped SDP for the ADC

Proofreading by James Ojo, copy editor at Legit.ng.

Source: Legit.ng

Authors:
Esther Odili avatar

Esther Odili (Politics and Current Affairs Editor) Esther Odili is a journalist and a Politics/Current Affairs Editor at Legit.ng with 6+ years of experience. She Holds OND and HND in Mass Communication from the Nigerian Institue of Journalism (NIJ), where she was recognized as the best student in print journalism in 2018. Before joining Legit.ng, Esther has worked with other reputable media houses, such as the New Telegraph newspaper and Galaxy Television. In 2024, Esther obtained a certificate in advanced digital reporting from the Google News Initiative. Email: esther.odili@corp.legit.ng.

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