Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir el-Rufai, has praised ex-Vice President Atiku Abubakar for his significant contributions to economic reforms during the administration of President Olusegun Obasanjo.
El-Rufai made the remarks on Friday while speaking to reporters during a visit to offer condolences to the family of elder statesman Edwin Clark, who passed away on February 17.
Emphasizing Atiku’s impact, El-Rufai noted that the 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) played a pivotal role in shaping key economic policies.
He said, “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.
“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.”
During Obasanjo’s tenure, Atiku was entrusted with overseeing the privatisation of national assets, with the Bureau of Public Enterprises — led by El-Rufai at the time — operating under his supervision.
El-Rufai’s comments come amid ongoing political discourse about the legacy of economic decisions made during that period, underscoring Atiku’s behind-the-scenes influence on Nigeria’s financial direction.
