Obasanjo Reveals Why He Rejected Proposal to Make El-Rufai His Successor in 2007

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has revealed that he once turned down a proposal to make Nasir El-Rufai, then Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), his successor at the end of his presidency in 2007.

Obasanjo said he refused the suggestion because, at the time, he felt El-Rufai — who had also served under him as Director-General of the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) — was “not yet mature enough” to handle the enormous demands of governing a complex country like Nigeria.

The former president made the disclosure on Friday during the second Ajibosin Platform Annual Symposium in Abeokuta, Ogun State.

His comment came while responding to a keynote speech by Osita Chidoka, former Minister of Aviation, who narrated how El-Rufai had introduced him to Obasanjo at the age of 34 — a meeting that led to his appointment as Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC).

Interrupting Chidoka’s speech with a smile, Obasanjo recalled an overlooked part of the story.

“Let him tell you,” Obasanjo said. “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 humorously,

“No be so?” — to which Chidoka nodded in agreement.

Obasanjo continued,

“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.’”

Despite his earlier reservations, Obasanjo praised both men and other members of his former administration, describing them as “individuals with special attributes” who made invaluable contributions between 1999 and 2007.

‘Leadership Requires Character and Training’

Speaking further, Obasanjo emphasised that leadership must be built on character, experience, exposure, and training — qualities he said are often missing in Nigerian politics.

“It’s only in politics that I found out there is no training for leadership,” he said. “Even among armed robbers, I was told there is apprenticeship. But in politics, there’s no training for leadership. That’s not good enough.”

‘Nigeria’s Problem Isn’t Lack of Ideas’ — Chidoka

In his keynote address, Chidoka argued that Nigeria’s persistent challenges stem not from a lack of ideas but from a failure to build institutions and systems that ensure accountability and continuity in governance.

“Leadership finds its true measure not in speeches or charisma, but in the systems it leaves behind,” he said. “Moral conviction must translate into governance machinery — rules, routines, and institutions that make competence predictable and corruption difficult.”

He added,

“Nigeria’s problem has never been the absence of ideas; it is the absence of systems strong enough to outlive their authors.”

Chidoka called for the creation of national dashboards and accountability frameworks to track government performance.

“We must make leadership accountable by building systems that monitor every promise, every budget, and every outcome,” he said. “Institutions that evaluate government performance must be empowered to expose complacency.”

The symposium, attended by political leaders, scholars, and civic advocates, explored the theme “Leadership, Governance, and Institutional Renewal in Nigeria.”

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