Why I apologised for criticising Goodluck Jonathan — Bello El-Rufai

Bello El-Rufai, a federal lawmaker and son of former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai, has apologized for his past criticisms of ex-President Goodluck Jonathan.

El-Rufai attributed his earlier criticisms to inexperience and a lack of maturity.

A conversation with his father, who was heading to meet Jonathan for political discussions, prompted him to reflect on his past views.

El-Rufai asked his father to convey his apology to Jonathan, acknowledging that he was “wiser now” and recognizing the complexities of leadership.

“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

He praised Jonathan’s statesmanship, particularly for conceding defeat in the 2015 presidential election, describing it as a rare presidential act in African politics.

He noted that he had previously forgotten that Nigeria had governance under Jonathan’s administration, highlighting the importance of appreciating the progress made during his tenure.

El-Rufai welcomed ongoing electoral reforms, including the electronic transmission of results, as a positive step towards improving the electoral process.

However, he strongly opposed any proposed amendment that would permit voting without a voter’s card, emphasizing the importance of maintaining the integrity of the electoral process.

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