House of Representatives member from Kaduna North, Bello El-Rufai, has expressed regret for his past criticism of former President Goodluck Jonathan, admitting that he was naive to judge the former leader’s time in office harshly.
Bello, who is the son of former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai, said he did not fully appreciate the quality of governance during Jonathan’s administration.
He made these remarks during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today program on Thursday evening.
The young lawmaker noted that his view changed after observing his father’s decision to meet with Jonathan for political discussions. He shared how this moment made him realize his mistake.
Bello said: “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.”
