Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has revealed that he once turned down a proposal suggesting Nasir El-Rufai, then Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, as his successor at the end of his administration in 2007.
He said the former Kaduna governor was “not yet mature enough” to lead Nigeria at the time.
Obasanjo made the startling revelation on Friday during the second edition of the Ajibosin Platform Annual Symposium held in Abeokuta, Ogun State.
The former president spoke in reaction to a speech by former Minister of Aviation, Osita Chidoka, who delivered the keynote address at the event.
Chidoka had recounted how El-Rufai introduced him to Obasanjo at the age of 34, a meeting that later led to his appointment as Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC).
But Obasanjo, cutting in mid-speech, decided to complete what he called “the missing part of the story.”
“Let him tell you,” Obasanjo said with a smile. “He didn’t mention that when I was leaving government, he was pushing that his friend, El-Rufai, should be brought in as my successor.”
Turning to Chidoka, the former president added playfully, “No be so?” This prompted laughter from the audience as Chidoka nodded in agreement.
Obasanjo then went on to explain why he dismissed the idea.
“I did not yield to the pressure. Later, he asked why I didn’t agree, and I told him El-Rufai needed to mature. Many years later, after seeing his performance, he came back to me and said, ‘You were absolutely correct, El-Rufai needed to mature.’”
The former president, however, struck a conciliatory tone, praising both men and other members of his former team, whom he described as “individuals with special attributes” who played significant roles in the success of his administration between 1999 and 2007.
