In a surprising shift from past criticisms, former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has showered accolades on ex-Vice President Atiku Abubakar, asserting that he played a pivotal role in spearheading economic reforms during President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration.
El-Rufai, who served as the Director-General of the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) at the time, revealed that Atiku was at the forefront of the administration’s economic restructuring efforts, particularly in overseeing the privatisation of national assets. He made these remarks on Friday while paying a condolence visit to the family of the late Edwin Clark, a revered elder statesman and Niger Delta advocate who passed away on February 17.
“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 stated. “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.”
This acknowledgment marks a significant departure from El-Rufai’s previous stance on Atiku. In 2016, the former governor had accused the ex-vice president of being dishonest and suggested he was haunted by “demons of corruption.” However, his recent remarks appear to paint Atiku in a different light, portraying him as a key architect of Nigeria’s economic transformation during the Obasanjo years.
Atiku himself seemed to welcome the recognition. Sharing a video from the condolence visit on X (formerly Twitter), he highlighted the delegation’s purpose and paid tribute to the late Edwin Clark.
> “Today, I led a delegation that included the former Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, on a condolence visit to the family of foremost statesman and nationalist, Chief Edwin Clark. I prayed for comfort for the family of the man whose work was defined by his pan-Nigerian credentials.”
Atiku also used the moment to advocate for national unity, stating that Clark’s legacy should be honored through inclusiveness and nation-building.
El-Rufai’s remarks could reignite discussions about Atiku’s economic legacy, particularly as Nigeria continues to grapple with economic challenges. Whether this newfound acknowledgment alters the political dynamics between the two men remains to be seen, but one thing is clear—Atiku’s role in Nigeria’s economic reforms under Obasanjo might just be getting the overdue recognition it deserves.
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