Buhari persuaded me to run for governorship for ‘strong governance’ —El-Rufai

Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, said that President Muhammadu Buhari was significant to his interest in the governorship of Kaduna State, adding that he persuaded him to contest in the interest of strong governance.

El-Rufai made this statement during the weekly ministerial press briefing organized by the Presidential Communications Team at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, yesterday.

The governor noted that he had no ambition to run for Presidency in 2023, stressing that arrangements are underway to ensure that forthcoming APC Convention goes as planned.

“I have zero ambition. I just want to finish this job, get on with my private life, write another book and make tonnes of money. The largest amount of money I ever got in my life was from writing the book, ‘Accidental Public Servant’. I have no ambition; I’ve never had any ambition. And if I die today, I am quite accomplished and happy, because I never in my life, based on my humble background, ever thought I would even enter this building. So it has been God all the way.

“I have never desired to run even for this governorship. It was President Buhari who literally forced me to run. He insisted that some of us run for governorship just in case he didn’t win again. He felt that we needed some ‘strong governance’. Those were the words he used. So, I have no aspirations whatsoever”, he added.

Read also: El-Rufai backs National Assembly, asks Buhari to declare bandits as terrorists

El-Rufai therefore reinstated his commitment to support whoever candidate the zoning favours for Presidency, as long as he is satisfied that the candidate can deliver.

“I will support any APC candidate if I’m satisfied that he will do the best for Nigeria. It doesn’t matter whether he’s from the South-West, South-East or South-South; the APC is what matters and the quality of the person.

“The discussion at the moment is that the Presidency is zoned to the South. It is not zoned to any particular place in the South. The South will have the first go at it. But we are waiting to see who the aspirants are”, he added.

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