Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has sharply criticized Nasir El-Rufai, the former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), calling him a someone who has a chronic predisposition to deceive and a lack of loyalty.
Obasanjo recollected his experiences working with El-Rufai, whom he nominated as Minister during his government, in his book, My Watch (Vol. 2). Although praising El-Rufai’s intelligence and ability to produce outcomes, Obasanjo claimed that the former minister lacked the moral qualities required of a public servant.
“Nasir has a nearly obsessive tendency to destroy people’s reputations. He shamelessly lied against me, his coworkers, and even his own relatives, Obasanjo wrote.
The former president recalled how El-Rufai constantly violated trust and misrepresented the truth in order to further his own agenda, even though he had the backing and authority of his administration.
Obasanjo denounced El-Rufai’s purported acts against his own family members, including a half-brother and a well-respected uncle, calling the behavior extremely concerning and indicative of a lack of moral guidance.
Despite his talent, he requires careful monitoring. “He has what I refer to as the’small man syndrome,’ which is a confluence of psychological and upbringing problems,” Obasanjo said.
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Despite the severe criticism, Obasanjo acknowledged that El-Rufai played a significant role in carrying out important initiatives while in office and that he could still serve the nation, but only under close supervision.
“He delivered what I knew he could.” But he is a liability in unsupervised situations because of his character flaws,” he continued.
Finally, Obasanjo voiced concern about the factors that might have influenced El-Rufai’s disposition, pointing out that his actions might have been influenced by his early lack of parental direction.