- El-Rufai lamented that history is often ignored, leading people to focus only on negative aspects of leaders’ past actions.
- But in 2016, El-Rufai alleged that Abubakar was haunted by “demons of corruption,” suggesting his political career had corruption-related controversies.
Former Governor of Kaduna, Nasir el-Rufai, has stated that ex-Vice President Atiku Abubakar should be acknowledged for leading economic reforms under President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration.
Abubakar held the position of vice-president in Obasanjo’s government from 1999 to 2007, playing a significant role in economic matters throughout his tenure in office.
He was responsible for supervising the privatization of public assets, with the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), led by el-Rufai, also falling under his jurisdiction.
While offering condolences to the family of Edwin Clark, a Niger Delta leader who passed away on February 17, el-Rufai praised Abubakar’s role in economic policies.
“Nobody gives Alhaji Atiku Abubakar the credit for economic policy making under the Obasanjo administration. Many of the things we did, we did under his leadership,” el-Rufai said.
“Maybe because we don’t write about it, and people don’t read history, we tend to forget. We only remember negative things. Maybe it’s part of human nature.”
In 2016, el-Rufai heavily criticized Abubakar, accusing him of being highly skilled at spreading misinformation and making false claims in public discourse.
He further alleged that Abubakar was plagued by the “demons of corruption,” implying that corruption scandals had continued to taint his political career.