I’m sorry, was naive to have criticized you – El-Rufai’s son begs Goodluck Jonathan

House of Representative member from Kaduna North, Bello El-Rufai, has said he was naive to have criticized former President Goodluck Jonathan.

Bello, who is son of former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, said he is sorry for criticizing Jonathan’s administration.

The Kaduna lawmaker noted that he failed to realize that Nigeria had a good governance under Jonathan due to his naivety.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Thursday evening, the lawmaker said he is wiser now.

Bello said his naivety came to the fore when he saw his father preparing to visit Jonathan for political consultation.

He recalled paying his father a visit and noticed that he was going out. He asked where he was going.

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.”

El-Rufai initially had a good relationship with Jonathan and he even urged him to contest the 2011 presidential election.

Reports said after Namadi Sambo’s emergence as Vice President, El-Rufai and his family members heavily criticized Jonathan’s administration.

I’m sorry, was naive to have criticized you – El-Rufai’s son begs Goodluck Jonathan