Former Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, has said his decision to choose a different path by speaking up made “everyone to tell me that I made a mistake”.

According to TheCable, El-Rufai said this in Abuja, on Thursday, during the launch of “OPL 245: Inside Story of the $1.3 Billion Nigerian Oil Block”, a memoir written by former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Bello Adoke.


The former governor also hinted that he was preparing a second memoir to further document his experiences in public service, declaring that he has no regrets from his time in office.


Reflecting on his first book, “The Accidental Public Servant”, published over a decade ago, El-Rufai said it was written to offer an honest account of his time in government, even though many advised him against it.

“About 12 years ago, I presented The Accidental Public Servant, which was a record of my experience in public service. It showed how friends abandon you, betray you, and how those you’ve helped can turn against you,” he said.

“They said I had made a mistake and would never be allowed near the government again. But I chose a different path. In Nigeria, they expect you to keep quiet after office. I refused to do that.”


El-Rufai, who served as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory under President Olusegun Obasanjo before becoming governor of Kaduna State, said he stands by every decision he made in public office.

“I don’t believe I have anything to hide. I still don’t. And I know Bello Adoke has nothing to hide either,” he said.

He praised Adoke for using his memoir to clarify his role in the controversial OPL 245 deal, for which he was cleared of wrongdoing by courts in Nigeria, Italy, and the United Kingdom.

“You can write a book like that and hold your head high, knowing you did nothing wrong. I urge those in power today to remember that your turn will come,” El-Rufai added.


He said his upcoming book will offer deeper insights into the principles and decisions that shaped his years in public service, urging others in leadership positions to also document their experiences for the sake of posterity and public understanding.