El-Rufai’s Ex-Adviser: “I Regret My Support”: The ‘Foot Soldier’ Who Helped El-Rufai Win Now Regrets It

Ben Kure, once a trusted political adviser to former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, has voiced his deep regret for backing his ex-boss, whom he now accuses of running a divisive administration.
Speaking on Channels Television, Kure detailed his key role in establishing the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kaduna, a foundational effort that paved the way for El-Rufai’s governorship.
“I was a founding interim management committee member that built the APC in Kaduna State,” he stated. “I spearheaded the member registration drive with retired Colonel Abdullah, Senator M.B. Saleh, and former House of Representatives member, Honourable Shehu Balarabe.”
Kure recounted that El-Rufai had no political footing when he first entered Kaduna politics, and that he leaned heavily on party loyalists to secure the governorship nomination.
“When Mallam Nasir El-Rufai arrived, he was a newcomer in Kaduna politics, with no base or structure,” Kure explained. “We were the loyal foot soldiers who made sure he secured his nomination and became governor. I was the Director General of his campaign in both 2015 and 2019.”