Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has disclosed how he rejected a proposal to endorse former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, as his successor when he prepared to leave office in 2007.
Obasanjo made the revelation on Friday in Abeokuta during the second edition of the Ajibosin Platform Annual Symposium themed “Importance of Leadership in Governance.”
El-Rufai, who served under Obasanjo as Director-General of the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) and later as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) from 2003 to 2007, was reportedly recommended to the former president by Osita Chidoka, then a young technocrat who would later become the Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC).
Recalling the event, Obasanjo said:
“Let him tell you. He didn’t mention that. He was pushing when I was leaving government that his friend, El-Rufai, should be brought in as my successor.”
Turning to Chidoka, who sat among the panelists, the former president asked humorously:
“No be so (Is that not true)?”
Chidoka nodded in agreement, confirming the story.
According to Obasanjo, he turned down the proposal because he believed El-Rufai “needed to mature” before assuming such a national role.
“I did not yield to the pressure. Later, he said, ‘I suggested this person, why didn’t you agree?’ I said El-Rufai needs to mature. You remember?
“When I left government and, many years later, he saw the performances of El-Rufai, he came back to me and said, ‘You’re absolutely correct. El-Rufai needed to mature.’”
Despite this, the former president praised both Chidoka and El-Rufai for their intelligence and contributions to his administration, describing them as part of the “special attributes” that strengthened his government.
Speaking further on the symposium’s theme, Obasanjo lamented the lack of leadership training in Nigeria’s political system.
“It’s only in politics that I found out there is no training for leadership. Even among armed robbers, I was told there is apprenticeship.
“But it’s only in politics that there is no training in leadership. That’s not good enough.”
Delivering the keynote address, Chidoka attributed Nigeria’s leadership crisis to a culture of excuses and weak institutions.
“Leadership finds its true measure not in speeches or charisma but in the systems it leaves behind.
“Moral conviction must translate into the everyday machinery of governance—rules, routines, and institutions that make competence predictable and corruption difficult.”
He further stressed that Nigeria’s problem has never been a shortage of ideas but the failure to build enduring systems.
“We must therefore make leadership accountable not to rhetoric but to results: measure by building national dashboards and accountability systems that track every promise, every budget, every outcome.”
In his remarks, the convener of the event, Aare Olanrewaju Bakinson, said the lecture was aimed at inspiring discussions on ethical and effective governance.
“Leadership is not just about power; it’s about responsibility, vision, and service. As we explore this theme, we’ll examine the qualities of good governance, the impact of leadership on development, and strategies for fostering ethical leadership.”
Prominent personalities in attendance included Senator Shuaibu Salis (Ogun Central), the Olowu of Owu Kingdom, Oba Saka Matemilola, the Olota of Ota, Oba Adeyemi Obalanlege, and former Ogun State First Lady, Mrs. Olufunsho Amosun.
