2015: I’ve convinced Buhari to run –El-Rufai

Former Minister of the Fed­eral Capital Territory (FCT), Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, has said former President Oluse­gun Obasanjo cannot be absolved from whatever crisis Nigeria is going through.

Speaking on a radio programme, “Face the Nation,” broadcast on Rockcity 101.9 FM, Abeokuta, yesterday, Mallam El-Rufai, who served in the administration of Obasanjo from 2003 to 2007, first as Director General Bureau of Public Enterprise (BPE) and later as Minister of FCT, believes that the selec­tion of Umar Yar’Adua, as the presidential candidate of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) and his support for Goodluck Jona­than to emerge as a presidential candidate in 2011, was the root of the leadership crisis, the country is facing.

According to him, “the fact that he (Obasanjo) is the president that handed over to Yar’Adua and Jonathan, he cannot be fully absolved. Of course, he may have his reasons. Some people attribute bad motives, some think he made a big mistake. I think the truth is somewhere in-between but what Nigeria is going through right now is a direct result of decisions and actions, omission or commission by President Obasanjo, no doubt about it.”

“I think he is aware of this and that is why he wrote that long letter to try to begin to distance himself from the administration. He is consciously aware of this.”

However, El-Rufai, who is now a stalwart of the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) believes that the blame game should be over by now and every Nigerian should begin to move towards finding solution to whatever problem Obasanjo’s act has caused.

Said he: “I don’t think at this point, Nigeria needs blaming him because we have a serious problem. I think we should move away from finger-pointing, but ask ourselves: ‘How do we solve this problem?’ With his years of experience, intelligence and con­tacts, how can people like him be deployed to solve this problem, to get us out of the ditch Jonathan has dragged us into?”

“I think this is a more relevant question than to say: ‘Oh! President Obasanjo has im­posed Yar’Adua and Jonathan and so, he is responsible for what is happening.’ He may have been the instrument but the decisions and actions taken while they are in office is theirs and they have to be held responsible. You can give a person power but you can’t teach him how to use the power. I think we should focus on how we can get out of the grand mess Jonathan has put this country into.”