In a bold and thought-provoking remark, former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai has decried the prevailing culture of silence among Nigerian politicians, accusing many of “eating and keeping quiet” while in office instead of sharing their experiences to guide future leaders and strengthen governance.
El-Rufai, a prominent figure in the African Democratic Congress (ADC) opposition coalition, made the comments on Thursday in Abuja at the public unveiling of “OPL 245: Inside Story of the $1.3 Billion Nigerian Oil Block,” the latest memoir by former Attorney-General of the Federation, Mohammed Bello Adoke (SAN).
He lamented that Nigeria suffers from a lack of institutional memory because political officeholders often refuse to document their time in power. This, he argued, has led to the repetition of costly mistakes and weakened transparency and accountability in governance.
> “In Nigeria, when you’re in government, you eat, you keep quiet, and when you come back, you remain silent,” El-Rufai said pointedly. “We don’t write enough in this country. We don’t pass enough of our experiences—both good and bad—to the next generation.”
El-Rufai applauded Adoke’s courage in publishing a second book, describing memoir-writing as not only an act of catharsis for those vilified or persecuted, but also a necessary tradition that could cultivate integrity and historical accountability in public service.
> “Books like this are essential—not just for those who have been misunderstood to tell their side of the story—but to build a robust culture of record-keeping and institutional learning,” he said.
Reflecting on his own experience, El-Rufai recalled the criticism and backlash he received after publishing his memoir The Accidental Public Servant over a decade ago.
> “Twelve years ago, I launched my first book in this very hall. Many warned me that telling the truth would cost me politically. They said I should have just eaten and kept quiet like everyone else. But I had nothing to hide,” he said.
El-Rufai emphasized that both he and Adoke were unafraid to revisit the past because they had served with a clean conscience and a sense of responsibility. He expressed particular interest in reading Adoke’s account of the behind-the-scenes efforts to convince former President Goodluck Jonathan to concede the 2015 election—an act many say saved Nigeria from a major political crisis.
> “Everyone knows that Adoke played a vital role in persuading President Jonathan to accept the 2015 election outcome. That moment was critical in preserving Nigeria’s democracy. Instead of persecuting him, we should be thanking him,” El-Rufai said, noting that he had regular conversations with then-President Buhari at the time and never sensed any interference from Buhari in the legal proceedings surrounding the matter.
The former governor ended his speech with a commendation for Adoke’s literary effort and a promise to continue documenting his own experience in governance, hinting at an upcoming second memoir.
El-Rufai’s remarks come at a politically charged moment as he positions himself among the leading voices in the opposition coalition under the ADC platform, which is gearing up to challenge President Bola Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 general elections.
The ADC-led coalition, chaired by veteran political strategist Alhaji Buba Galadima, with Dr. Mani Ibrahim Ahmed as Secretary-General, is rapidly gaining momentum through grassroots mobilization, strategic meetings, and alliance-building with other opposition figures.
As the 2027 polls draw nearer, El-Rufai’s fiery call for transparency and historical reckoning in governance is likely to resonate with a growing segment of the electorate hungry for change, truth, and a break from the politics of silence.
PIONEER NEWS 