Revealed: Why Obasanjo Rejected El-Rufai As Successor In 2007

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has revealed that he once turned down intense pressure to anoint then-Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, as his successor at the end of his administration in 2007 — a decision he said was driven by his conviction that El-Rufai was “not yet mature enough” for the enormous responsibility of leading Nigeria.

Obasanjo made the disclosure on Friday at the second edition of the Ajibosin Platform Annual Symposium held in Abeokuta, Ogun State, while reacting to a keynote address delivered by former Minister of Aviation, Osita Chidoka.

Chidoka, while recounting his early encounter with the former president, said it was El-Rufai who introduced him to Obasanjo at the age of 34 — a meeting that later paved the way for his appointment as Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC).

Midway into Chidoka’s narrative, Obasanjo interrupted with a recollection that shed light on a behind-the-scenes episode at the twilight of his presidency.

“Let him tell you,” Obasanjo said with a teasing 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, he added in Pidgin, “No be so?” — to which the former aviation minister nodded affirmatively.

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.’”

The former president’s remark appeared to underscore his cautious approach to succession politics and his belief that leadership requires patience, experience, and emotional balance — qualities he felt El-Rufai was yet to fully develop at the time.

Obasanjo despite rebuffing the idea of El-Rufai being his successor, nevertheless commended both men and other members of his erstwhile reformist team for their intelligence and contributions to the success of his administration between 1999 and 2007.

He also used the occasion to emphasize the importance of grooming competent leaders through deliberate mentorship. “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.”

Earlier in his keynote, Chidoka argued that Nigeria’s recurring governance crisis is not due to a shortage of ideas but rather the absence of sustainable systems and institutions. “Leadership finds its true measure not in speeches or charisma, but in the systems it leaves behind,” he said. “Moral conviction must translate into the everyday machinery of governance — rules, routines, and institutions that make competence predictable and corruption difficult.”

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