Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has launched a sharp critique of former Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nasir El-Rufai, describing him as a man with a chronic tendency to lie and an inability to maintain loyalty.
In his autobiography, My Watch (Vol. 2), Obasanjo reflected on his time working with El-Rufai, whom he appointed as Minister during his administration. While acknowledging El-Rufai’s intelligence and capacity for delivering results, Obasanjo stated that the former minister lacked the character expected of a public servant.
“Nasir’s penchant for reputation savaging is almost pathological. He lied brazenly, including against me, his colleagues, and even his own family members,” Obasanjo wrote.
The former president recounted how El-Rufai, despite being supported and empowered within his administration, repeatedly betrayed trust and distorted facts to serve his personal interests.
Obasanjo criticized El-Rufai’s alleged actions against his own relatives, including a respected uncle and a half-brother, describing the conduct as deeply troubling and reflective of a lack of moral grounding.
“He is talented but needs close supervision. He suffers from what I call the ‘small man syndrome’—a combination of psychological and upbringing issues,” Obasanjo remarked.
Despite the harsh criticism, Obasanjo admitted El-Rufai was instrumental in implementing key policies during his presidency, adding that he could still serve the country—but only under strict oversight.
“I knew what he could deliver, and he did. But his character weaknesses make him a liability in unsupervised roles,” he added.
Obasanjo concluded by expressing concern over the influences that may have shaped El-Rufai’s personality, noting that his early loss of parental guidance could have contributed to his behavior.
