I Rejected Move to Make El-Rufai My Successor, Reveals Obasanjo

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has disclosed that he turned down suggestions for him to endorse former Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, as his successor when he was leaving office in 2007.

Obasanjo made the revelation on Friday while speaking at a public event in Abeokuta, Ogun State, where he reflected on his administration and the process that led to the emergence of the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua as his preferred candidate.

According to the former president, though El-Rufai was one of the brightest minds in his administration, he did not consider him suitable for the nation’s top job at the time.

“Some people came to me suggesting Nasir El-Rufai as my successor, but I said no. El-Rufai is smart, no doubt, but he’s not the kind of person Nigeria needed as president at that time,” Obasanjo stated.

El-Rufai, who served as the Director-General of the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) before being appointed Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) under Obasanjo’s administration, was one of the key figures in the government’s reform agenda between 1999 and 2007.

The former president explained that his choice of Yar’Adua was driven by his belief that the late Katsina-born leader had the temperament, discipline, and sense of continuity required to consolidate the reforms initiated under his government.

“I believed Yar’Adua had the calmness and maturity to continue the work we started. Unfortunately, his health challenges did not allow him to fulfil that vision,” Obasanjo added.

The elder statesman, however, noted that leadership choices in Nigeria must always be guided by national interest rather than personal loyalty or regional considerations.

“Nigeria’s leadership must be about competence, character, and commitment to service — not about who one knows or where one comes from,” he said.

Obasanjo’s comments have just since stirred renewed debate about the political dynamics that shaped the 2007 transition, particularly his strained relationship with some former aides, including El-Rufai, who later became a prominent critic of his administration.

The former president’s revelation adds a fresh layer to Nigeria’s democratic history, highlighting the behind-the-scenes deliberations that influenced one of the country’s most consequential political transitions.