Nasir El-Rufai, a member of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) coalition, has spoken about how the late former President Muhammadu Buhari played a big role in helping him become the governor of Kaduna State.

El-Rufai described Buhari as a mentor who advised and supported him during his journey to the governorship. According to him, Buhari encouraged him to contest for the position back in 2014 and stayed by his side throughout the process until he won.

He shared these thoughts while expressing his sadness over Buhari’s passing in a London hospital.

In a message shared on his X (formerly Twitter) account, El-Rufai praised Buhari for always standing strong for Nigeria, both in times of peace and conflict.

He also remembered that after the 2011 elections, Buhari chose him to lead the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) Renewal Committee, showing how much faith Buhari had in him.

El-Rufai wrote that Buhari was a great leader who worked hard for Nigeria. He said he was honored to work closely with him during their time in the CPC. He added that Buhari pushed him to run for Kaduna governor and even attended his campaign flag-off event in November 2014. El-Rufai appreciated how Buhari supported him through the election and during his time as governor.

He also thanked Buhari for always being available to him, even when they didn’t always agree on every policy decision.