Obasanjo: Why I Rejected El-Rufai as My Successor
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has revealed that he once rejected a proposal for Nasir El-Rufai to succeed him as President in 2007. Obasanjo made this disclosure at the Ajibosin Platform Annual Symposium in Abeokuta. He stated that the suggestion was made by former Aviation Minister Osita Chidoka, who was a guest at the event. Interjecting during Chidoka's speech, Obasanjo recalled the proposal. "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," Obasanjo said. The former president explained that he declined the recommendation because he believed El-Rufai, who served as the FCT Minister at the time, was "not yet mature enough" to lead Nigeria. Obasanjo added that Chidoka later agreed with his assessment. "Many years later, after seeing his performance, he came back to me and said, […]