Bello El-Rufai, a member of the House of Representatives and son of former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, has admitted he was misguided in his past criticism of former President Goodluck Jonathan.
Representing Kaduna North Federal Constituency under the All Progressives Congress (APC), El-Rufai revealed that youthful inexperience clouded his judgment and prevented him from appreciating the governance that existed under Jonathan’s administration.
His moment of reflection came after observing his father engage in political discussions with the former president.
“I visited my father after I became a member and I saw him wearing a polo shirt and I said ‘where are you going?’ And he said he was going to see President Jonathan, and I paused because when I was naive or when I thought ego or gratification mattered, I used to be very active in criticising President Jonathan.
“I even forgot in my naivety as many young people do, that we had governance then and I found my father saying that he is going to consult President Jonathan. I said, ‘please when you see him, tell him I am very sorry, I am wiser now’,” he said.
El-Rufai went on to praise Jonathan’s democratic legacy, particularly for conceding defeat in 2015—an act he described as rare in African politics.
“The system is a problem. Now, why did I mention President Jonathan? It takes a lot particularly in Africa to lose an election and leave, he did that,” he said.
On electoral reforms, the lawmaker backed innovations that enhance transparency, especially the electronic transmission of results. However, he opposed any proposed amendment that would permit voting without a voter’s card.
If such an amendment were introduced, El-Rufai declared, he would firmly vote against it.
