Nasir El-Rufai, the former minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has come under fire from former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who has called him a someone who has a chronic predisposition to deceive and a lack of loyalty.
El-Rufai was named Minister during Obasanjo’s administration, and Obasanjo wrote about his experiences working with him in his autobiography, My Watch (Vol. 2). Although El-Rufai’s talent and ability to produce outcomes were acknowledged, Obasanjo said the former minister lacked the moral qualities needed of a public servant.
Nasir’s tendency to destroy people’s reputations is almost unhealthy. In addition to lying openly against me, his coworkers, and even his own relatives, Obasanjo wrote.
Despite having authority and support within his administration, the former president described how El-Rufai frequently violated confidence and misrepresented the truth in order to further his own agenda.
Obasanjo called El-Rufai’s alleged behavior against his own family members—including a half-brother and a well-respected uncle—extremely concerning and indicative of a lack of moral compass.
“He is gifted, but requires careful monitoring.” Obasanjo said, “He has what I refer to as the’small man syndrome,’ which is a confluence of psychological and upbringing problems.”
Notwithstanding the severe criticism, Obasanjo acknowledged that El-Rufai played a significant role in carrying out important initiatives while in office and said he might still serve the nation, but only under close supervision.
“I was confident in his abilities, and he delivered.” However, his flaws make him a liability in unsupervised situations,” he continued.
Obasanjo ended by voicing concern about the factors that might have influenced El-Rufai’s character, pointing out that his behavior might have been influenced by his early lack of parental direction.
