Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has launched a blistering attack on the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari, describing it as the most corrupt in Nigeria’s democratic history. Obasanjo made these claims in the first chapter of his newly released book, Nigeria: Past and Future, unveiled last week to commemorate his 88th birthday.
The former president also criticized the current administration of President Bola Tinubu, warning that it appears to be following the same path of misgovernance and corruption and may surpass Buhari’s record.
Obasanjo’s Criticism and Allegations
Obasanjo singled out several projects and decisions of the Tinubu administration as examples of wasteful spending and corruption. He particularly condemned the controversial N15.6 trillion Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project, calling it a misplaced priority designed to funnel public funds into private pockets.
He also criticized the N21 billion allocated for the construction of a new official residence for Vice President Kashim Shettima, describing it as an unnecessary extravagance in a period of economic hardship.
“Typical examples of waste, corruption, and misplaced priority are the mucky Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road on which the President has turned deaf ears to protests and the new Vice-President’s official residence built at a cost of N21 billion in the time of economic hardship to showcase the administration hitting the ground running and to show the importance of the office of the Vice-President. What small minds!” Obasanjo wrote.
However, he reserved his harshest criticism for the Buhari administration, which he accused of presiding over an era of corruption and financial recklessness, allegedly enabled by the former Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN).
“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,” Obasanjo stated in his book.
He further claimed that under Buhari, corrupt practices were normalized, and anti-corruption agencies were weakened, leading to a breakdown in governance and accountability.
Buhari, Malami Decline to Respond
Efforts to get reactions from former President Buhari and Malami proved futile. Buhari’s former spokesman, Garba Shehu, did not respond to calls and text messages regarding the allegations. Malami, on his part, declined to react immediately, stating that he had not read the book.
“In light of the fact that His Excellency, President Obasanjo, has also been a victim of unsubstantiated allegations of corruption over time, I find it unlikely that he would make similar claims without specific references—such as who provided the alleged bribe, when it was given, how much was involved, under what circumstances, and who facilitated it,” Malami said in a voice note.
Newsmen later sent relevant pages of the book to Malami for his reaction, but he had yet to respond as of press time.
Presidency Defends Tinubu, Attacks Obasanjo
The Tinubu administration swiftly responded to Obasanjo’s remarks, dismissing his criticisms as baseless and self-serving. Presidential aides accused the former president of viewing himself as the sole authority on good governance in Nigeria.
Special Adviser to President Tinubu on Media and Public Communications, Sunday Dare, defended the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project, describing it as a visionary initiative with significant economic benefits.
Similarly, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, took to social media to hit back at Obasanjo.
“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,” Ajayi posted on X (formerly Twitter).
Minister of Works, David Umahi, also defended the project during an interview in Akure, Ondo State, stating that it was already 70 percent completed and would significantly boost economic activities along the coastal region.
“I want to commend the President. His peers are jealous and angry, but that means he is doing very well, especially on what nobody has been able to do. The project is transparent and has great returns on investment. I urge everyone to ignore distractions,” Umahi said.
Obasanjo’s Reflections on Nigeria’s Leadership
In his book, Obasanjo reflected on Nigeria’s post-independence leadership, arguing that successive governments, both military and civilian, have failed to address corruption and bad governance.
He revisited Buhari’s 1983 military coup, in which the then-General cited corruption and electoral malpractice as justifications for overthrowing the democratically elected government of Alhaji Shehu Shagari. Obasanjo expressed disappointment that Buhari failed to uphold those same principles when he later became a civilian president.
“Good points and good words which Buhari failed to follow when he became president eleven years later.
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,” Obasanjo wrote.
He further accused Buhari of undermining the country’s anti-corruption efforts by granting presidential pardons to convicted former governors Joshua Dariye and Jolly Nyame, who were jailed for fraud but released based on Malami’s recommendation.
Obasanjo’s latest book has ignited a fresh round of political controversy, with sharp reactions from both Buhari’s camp and the Tinubu administration.
As accusations and counter-accusations continue, many Nigerians are left to ponder the broader implications of Obasanjo’s claims on the country’s governance and future political trajectory.
