From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
The presidency has sharply criticised former President Olusegun Obasanjo for his recent comments on Nigerian governance made at Yale University.
Special Adviser on Public Communications to the President Sunday Dare, took to X handle @SundayDareSD, to label Obasanjo as lacking sincerity and moral authority. He accused the former president of possessing “a tremendous capacity for mischief,” asserting that his “hallucinations” and misrepresentation of facts are well-documented.
Dare highlighted Obasanjo’s administration as one marred by corruption, referencing the widely criticised $16 billion power project that failed to deliver tangible results.
“There has been no explanation as to how he wasted a whopping $16bn in generating megawatts of darkness across the nation,” he said.
The former Minister of Youth and Sports under the Muhammadu Buhari also accused Obasanjo of undermining democracy during his tenure, citing the failed third-term agenda as evidence of “mortal wounds” inflicted on the nation’s democratic process. Successive administrations, Dare noted have faced challenges in addressing governance issues, but President Tinubu is now making progress.
“Democracy suffered mortal wounds under his watch, only capped by his murderous rage for an ill-fated third term,” Dare stated, adding that Obasanjo “should apologize to Nigerians for not laying the foundational infrastructure Nigeria needed to advance.”
The media aide also dismissed Obasanjo’s anti-corruption stance as “pretentious,” asserting that Nigerians are not swayed by such claims.
“It is actually laughable that the former president’s pretentiousness about fighting corruption is not cutting any ice in the eyes of the general public,” he said.
Citing a Yoruba proverb, Dare emphasised the importance of focusing on substantive progress rather than distractions.
“In this market called Nigeria, the man with the renewed hope agenda is the one that matters,” Dare remarked, referring to President Tinubu’s reforms.
Dare reiterated President Tinubu’s commitment to staying the course and implementing reforms under the Renewed Hope Agenda, aimed at driving Nigeria’s development.
He further called on Obasanjo to reflect on his own contributions to Nigeria’s challenges instead of criticising his successors.
“President Tinubu is now spiritedly battling to put the nation back on the track of development,” Dare said, urging Obasanjo to refrain from undermining current efforts.
He concluded by welcoming Obasanjo’s acknowledgment of hope for Nigeria’s future. “We thank former President Obasanjo for agreeing that ‘Yes, there is hope.’ That’s the Renewed Hope Agenda President Tinubu is about, and it’s on track.”
The statement reads:
Former President Obasanjo is a man with a tremendous capacity for mischief and Nigerians know it. His journey along the path of hallucinations has never been in doubt. So is his descent into muddling facts, forgetting that he ran a Presidency on record as the most corrupt. His recent diatribe at Yale University lacks sincerity.
It is actually laughable that Obasanjo’s pretentiousness about fighting corruption is not cutting any ice in the eyes of the general public. We all know what happened under his watch and how, up till the present moment, there has been no explanation as to how he wasted a whopping $16bn in generating megawatts of darkness across the nation. But that is not even the issue.
Democracy suffered mortal wounds under his watch only capped by his murderous rage for an ill-fated 3rd term. Successive administrations struggled to clean up the mess Obasanjo left behind, which President Tinubu is now making progress with. Obasanjo has lost any moral right to condemn any government. He should apologise to Nigerians for not laying the foundational infrastructure Nigeria needed to advance.
The. Yoruba proverb, “A o ki n wo ariwo oja, eniti a anba na oja ni a n wo”. This means that you shouldn’t pay heed to the market’s noise. Rather, keep an eye on the person you are negotiating with. This is instructive. In this market called Nigeria, the man with the renewed hope agenda is the one that matters and indeed Nigerians. Everything else is ariwo oja. This administration will stay focused in bringing relief to Nigerians. Obasanjo’s remarks reflect the infantilist nature of market noise.
President Tinubu will Stay the Course in seeing through the reforms he has instituted for a better Nigeria.
The point here is that Obasanjo should take time off this habit of pulling down leaders, especially his successors and try to interrogate himself on how he has contributed to the parlous state of the Nigerian nation which President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is now spiritedly battling to put back on the track of development. We thank former President Obasanjo for agreeing that “Yes, there is hope”. That’s the Renewed Hope Agenda President Tinubu is about and it’s on track. We are happy to have that conversation with the former President.