Obasanjo says he rejected El-Rufai as his successor, insisting he lacked the maturity for leadership.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has disclosed that he turned down a recommendation to make former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nasir El-Rufai, his successor in 2007.
Speaking in Abeokuta, Ogun State, during the second edition of the Ajibosin Platform symposium themed “Importance of Leadership in Governance,” Obasanjo said the suggestion came from former Aviation Minister Osita Chidoka. “He was pushing when I was leaving government that his friend, El-Rufai, should be brought in as my successor,” Obasanjo said.
Obasanjo explained that he refused because El-Rufai “needed to mature,” adding that Chidoka later admitted he was right after observing El-Rufai’s performance in later years.
The former president emphasized that leadership requires character, exposure, and experience, lamenting that “only in politics is there no training for leadership.”
Chidoka, delivering the keynote address, urged leaders to prioritize systems over rhetoric and accountability over excuses.