by Nigerian News24 Correspondents
Bello El-Rufai, a House of Representatives member from Kaduna North and son of former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, has expressed regret for his earlier criticisms of former President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Thursday evening, Bello admitted that his naivety led him to overlook the effective governance under Jonathan.
The lawmaker recounted a moment of realization when he saw his father preparing to visit Jonathan for political consultations. Bello recalled asking his father where he was headed, to which Nasir El-Rufai replied that he was going to meet Jonathan.
This prompted Bello to reflect on his past actions, saying, “When I was naive, I used to be very active in criticizing President Jonathan. I forgot that we had governance then. I told my father, ‘Please, when you see him, tell him I am very sorry, I am wiser now.’”
Bello highlighted Jonathan’s rare act in African politics of conceding defeat after the 2015 election, noting, “It takes a lot, particularly in Africa, to lose an election and leave. He did that.” He attributed his earlier criticisms to youthful inexperience and a flawed system.
Initially, El-Rufai’s family had a cordial relationship with Jonathan, with Nasir El-Rufai even encouraging him to run in the 2011 presidential election. However, tensions arose after Namadi Sambo became Vice President, leading to frequent criticisms of Jonathan’s administration by the El-Rufai family.