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Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has revealed that he rejected a proposal to make Nasir El-Rufai his successor in 2007, citing that El-Rufai was "not yet mature enough" to lead Nigeria at the time.
Obasanjo made this revelation during the Ajibosin Platform Annual Symposium in Abeokuta, Ogun State, while reacting to a speech by former Minister of Aviation, Osita Chidoka.
Chidoka had spoken about how El-Rufai introduced him to Obasanjo, leading to his appointment as Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC). Obasanjo interrupted, sharing that El-Rufai had pushed for him to be his successor, but he declined.
"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.
@everyone Nasir El-Rufai Olusegun Obasanjo