Akin Osuntokun, a former adviser to Olusegun Obasanjo, has shared a "behind-the-scenes" story of how Nasir El-Rufai almost became Nigeria’s president in 2007.
According to Osuntokun, a secret group of nine advisers had already agreed that El-Rufai was the best man for the job, but Obasanjo flatly rejected the idea.
In 2006, Obasanjo set up a small team to pick a successor. This team, which included Nuhu Ribadu, reached a consensus to present El-Rufai as the next president.
When the group suggested El-Rufai, Obasanjo called them "naive." He told them he knew El-Rufai better than they did and hinted that he had deep reservations about the man.
Instead of the "technocrat" El-Rufai, Obasanjo chose Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, whom he considered more disciplined and loyal.
Although El-Rufai and Ribadu were "best friends" at the time, their political paths later split, leading to a rivalry that lasts to this day.
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