Bello El-Rufai, son of former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, has apologised to former President Goodluck Jonathan for the way he once criticised his leadership.
Now a member of the House of Representatives representing Kaduna North, Bello admitted that he acted out of ignorance and youthful pride during Jonathan’s time in office.
He said he realised his mistake after witnessing his father visiting Jonathan for political discussions.
That experience made him reflect on the value of Jonathan’s leadership and recognise that the country was under proper governance during his time, something he didn’t appreciate back then.
According to him, many young people often speak harshly about leaders without fully understanding the system.
He said Jonathan’s action of peacefully handing over power after losing the 2015 election was something not common among African leaders.
“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’.
“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,” Bello El-Rufai said.
