Bello el-Rufai’s Apology Signals Shift in Nigerian Politics.

Bello el-Rufai, a member of the House of Representatives

Bello el-Rufai, a member of the House of Representatives, has admitted that his past criticism of former President Goodluck Jonathan was misguided, describing it as a product of youthful naivety.

Speaking during a special Democracy Day programme on Channels Television, the lawmaker who represents Kaduna North Federal Constituency reflected on his previous views and expressed a more mature appreciation of Jonathan’s time in office.

“Looking back, I realise I was naive,” he said. “Like many young people, I constantly criticized Jonathan’s administration, forgetting that we actually had governance then.”

Bello, son of former Kaduna State governor Nasir el-Rufai, went further to say he felt remorseful after hearing that his father was in contact with the former president.

“I told my father, ‘Please, when you see him, tell him I am very sorry. I am wiser now,’” he said.

He praised Jonathan’s peaceful handover of power in 2015, calling it a rare and commendable act in African politics.

“It takes a lot, especially in Africa, to lose an election and walk away. President Jonathan did that, and it’s something we must acknowledge,” he noted.

Bello also weighed in on Nigeria’s ongoing electoral reforms. He expressed support for improving the electoral process but firmly opposed any amendment that would allow voting without a valid voter card, warning that it could undermine electoral integrity.

Meanwhile, his father, Nasir el-Rufai, is reported to be part of a growing coalition of political figures working to unseat President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 general election. El- Rufai himself became a vocal critic of President Tinubu following the collapse of his ministerial nomination earlier in the administration.