Anifowose Samson
Bello El-Rufai, the lawmaker representing Kaduna North at the House of Representatives has apologised to former President Goodluck Jonathan for consistently criticising him before the 2015 general election.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today, El-Rufai said his criticism of the former president stemmed from naivety and lack of understanding of the workings of a political system.
El-Rufai said he has now come to understand that Nigeria and its people enjoyed good governance under the administration of former President Jonathan.
While stating that he is now wiser, El-Rufai said he had asked his father, a former governor of Kaduna state to relay his apology to Jonathan.
Recalling one of the days his father was paying a consultation visit to Jonathan, the lawmaker said he found it difficult to understand why the former governor would do that.
“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 was going to consult President Jonathan. I said, ‘Please when you see him, tell him I am very sorry, I am wiser now’.
“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,” El-Rufai added.
