Ex-CoS: I didn’t betray El-Rufai, he used my structure to win elections

Former Chief of Staff to Governor Nasiru El-Rufai, Hon. Bashir Saidu, has refuted allegations of betrayal against his former boss who is currently in custody. Saidu, who was among the former allies of El-Rufai that disclosed they had severed ties with him, discussed his relationship with the ex-governor in an interview with RFI Hausa.

Following El-Rufai's claim that some supporters who stood by him in tough times had deserted him, Saidu clarified that both he and El-Rufai jointly created the political structure that enabled the latter to come to power during their active years in politics. Saidu admitted he was imprisoned, spending 50 and 54 days in detention before and after his trial, respectively.

He further elaborated that they abandoned El-Rufai only when the betrayal became apparent, stating that the person they supported did not value their contribution. Saidu added that the structure El-Rufai's camp claims was overrated, and that El-Rufai was still owed for their support. He also clarified that they had pushed for Malam Jaafaru to be their candidate in Kaduna, unaware that El-Rufai had already selected a candidate.