Buhari Endorsed My Exit from APC – El-Rufai

Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has revealed that former President Muhammadu Buhari supported his decision to leave the All Progressives Congress (APC).

According to Naija News, El-Rufai disclosed that he met with Buhari on Friday, March 7, to inform him about his intention to leave the ruling party.

Speaking in an interview with BBC Hausa Service on Thursday, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) chieftain confirmed that he left the APC with Buhari’s endorsement.

“I met with him (Buhari) on Friday and told him about my consultations in preparation to leave the party. I sought his blessing and prayers and told him about the new party I am joining. And he gave his blessing, prayers, and wished me success,” he stated.

El-Rufai added that Buhari, now seeing himself as a statesman, acknowledged their political decisions and offered his prayers.

Addressing speculations on whether he defected to avoid being expelled, El-Rufai dismissed the notion, saying he would have preferred being expelled as it would have spared him the task of explaining his departure.

“Well, it would have been better for me if they expelled me. I have stated many times that APC would be my last political party. Had they expelled me, they would have saved me the troubles of explaining why I left the APC. As I said, I have not left the APC, but the APC rather left me,”