Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has launched a scathing critique of both former President Muhammadu Buhari and current President Bola Tinubu, accusing their administrations of rampant corruption and misgovernance.
In his newly released book, “Nigeria: Past and Future,” Obasanjo described Buhari’s tenure as the “worst in Nigeria’s democratic history” and warned that Tinubu’s government may surpass it in corruption and waste.
Obasanjo did not mince words when addressing Buhari’s legacy, stating, *”The most atrocious waste, enthronement of corruption, and discouragement of officials fighting corruption took place under the watch of President Buhari and the devil’s workshop, his Attorney General, Abubakar Malami.”
He particularly criticized Buhari for failing to live up to the anti-corruption ideals he championed during his military rule in 1983.
The former president also highlighted the controversial pardons granted to two former governors, Joshua Dariye and Jolly Nyame, who were convicted for embezzling state funds. Obasanjo claimed that the pardons were orchestrated by Malami, calling it a “financial shenanigan” that undermined the fight against corruption.
Obasanjo also took aim at President Tinubu’s administration, accusing it of following the same path of corruption and waste. He criticized the N15.6tn Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project, describing it as “wasteful and corrupt,” and slammed the N21bn spent on a new official residence for Vice President Kashim Shettima as a “misplaced priority.”
“Given about two years of President Tinubu in office, it appears that the game of short-changing the over 230 million Nigerians continues because everything is said to be transactional and the slogan is ‘It is my turn to chop,’” Obasanjo wrote.
The Presidency swiftly responded to Obasanjo’s criticisms, defending the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway as a “visionary legacy project with enormous economic potential.”
Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communications, Sunday Dare, stated that the project would transform Nigeria’s economic landscape. Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, also hit back, saying,
“Former President Obasanjo seems to see himself as the only Nigerian created by God who knows what is good for Nigeria per time. If, as President for eight years, he couldn’t fix the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway and Lagos-Abeokuta road, we can’t take his latest view on the Lagos-Calabar highway as well-informed.”
In his book, Obasanjo lamented the persistent issues of bad governance, corruption, and self-interest that have plagued Nigeria since independence. He criticized successive governments for failing to address these challenges, stating, “Words are cheap, and what needed to be done was left undone during Buhari’s civil administration regime from 2015 to 2023, the worst civil administration regime so far in Nigerian history.”
He also expressed concern that Tinubu’s administration might outdo Buhari’s in corruption, judging by its first two years in office. “Maybe those ideas and thoughts were not his; he just came to read them as written for him. Only Bola Tinubu’s administration seems to be competing with Buhari’s for now,” Obasanjo added.
While the Presidency has defended its projects and policies, Obasanjo’s critique serves as a stark reminder of the need for accountability and transparency in public office. “Words are cheap, and what needed to be done was left undone,” Obasanjo concluded, urging Nigerians to hold their leaders accountable for the nation’s progress.