Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, has publicly disclosed that he rejected a proposal to support Nasir El-Rufai, the former Governor of Kaduna State, as his successor in the 2007 presidential election.
Speaking at a symposium in Abeokuta, Ogun State, Obasanjo stated that he dismissed the suggestion because he felt the former Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister lacked maturity for the nation’s top office at the time.
Obasanjo revealed that the recommendation came from Osita Chidoka, who was then the former Minister of Aviation and the keynote speaker at the symposium.
This revelation comes 18 years after President Obasanjo completed his second term in office in 2007, when he ultimately supported the late Umaru Musa Yar’Adua for the presidency.
Obasanjo presented his decision when speaking at the symposium as a matter of due diligence regarding leadership readiness, suggesting that despite El-Rufai’s intellect, he was too politically unripe for the demanding role of the presidency in 2007. During the symposium Obasanjo emphasized that character, experience, and training qualities are often missing in political apprenticeships in current day politics.
El-Rufai served as a key official in the Obasanjo administration, holding the position of the Director-General of the Bureau of Public Enterprises and later as Minister of the FCT (2003–2007).
El-Rufai has emerged as a critical figure in the opposition African Democratic Party (ADC), and a vocal critic of the current administration ahead of the 2027 general elections. The former president’s comments contribute to the ongoing national dialogue concerning the qualities and preparation required for effective political leadership.
While rejected for the presidency in 2007, El-Rufai went on to serve as the highly visible and often controversial Governor of Kaduna State from 2015 to 2023. His later political success, albeit at the state level, presents a counter-narrative of a determined politician who has since acquired significant executive experience.
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