Former President Olusegun Obasanjo says he turned down a proposal for Nasir El-Rufai to succeed him in 2007, claiming the former FCT Minister was “not yet mature enough” to lead Nigeria.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has revealed that he once rejected a proposal suggesting Nasir El-Rufai as his successor in 2007, saying the then Minister of the Federal Capital Territory was “not yet mature enough” to handle Nigeria’s leadership.
Obasanjo made the remark on Friday during the second edition of the Ajibosin Platform Annual Symposium in Abeokuta, Ogun State.
Recalling the incident, Obasanjo said, “When I was leaving government, he was pushing that his friend, El-Rufai, should be brought in as my successor. I did not yield to the pressure. Later, he asked why, and I told him El-Rufai needed to mature.”
He added that Chidoka later admitted he was right, noting El-Rufai’s later performance proved his point.
Obasanjo also spoke on leadership, saying, “It’s only in politics I found out there’s no training for leadership. Even among armed robbers, I was told there is apprenticeship — but not in politics.”