Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai has called on members of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration to lead with humility and responsibility, stressing that political power is not permanent.
El-Rufai made this statement on Thursday, July 10, during the launch of the book “OPL245: The Inside Story of the $1.3b Nigerian Oil Bloc” written by Mohammed Bello Adoke (SAN), former Attorney General and Minister of Justice under President Goodluck Jonathan.
In his address, El-Rufai emphasized the importance of public officials documenting their experiences through books and memoirs. He praised Adoke for offering his version of events surrounding the controversial Malabu oil deal.
“We don’t do this enough in Nigeria,” El-Rufai said. “I urge those in power today to remember — their time too will pass. Everyone gets their turn.”
Reflecting on Nigeria’s political past, El-Rufai commended Adoke’s role in the peaceful transition of power in 2015, when former President Jonathan conceded defeat to opposition candidate Muhammadu Buhari.
“He stood by Jonathan and helped persuade him to concede. We — the APC government of 2015 — should thank him, not persecute him,” he said.
El-Rufai also shared that in private conversations with former President Buhari, there was no sign of any personal bias against Adoke. According to him, Buhari was committed to upholding the rule of law rather than targeting individuals.
The Malabu oil scandal, related to the 2011 sale of the OPL 245 oil bloc to Shell and Eni for $1.3 billion, involved claims that $1.1 billion of the funds were paid as bribes to Nigerian officials. Though Adoke was implicated during Buhari’s administration, both Nigerian and international courts eventually cleared him of any wrongdoing.
El-Rufai highlighted this outcome and urged public officials to learn from past events, focusing on justice and governance rather than political vendettas.
“I look forward to reading the book to better understand what really happened and to gain deeper insight into that period,” he added.
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