President Bola Tinubu has come under a bristling attack by former President Olusegun Obasanjo who says that the misery and corruption in Nigeria were there for “every honest person” to see.
Obasanjo regarded by many as the most successful civilian president since democratic governance returned in 1999 highlighted pervasive corruption and leadership failure which characterise today’s Nigeria which he also described as a failing state.
A statement by Obasanjo’s aide Kehinde Akinyemi said the former two-time leader of Africa’s most populous nation spoke through a keynote lecture titled, “Leadership failure and the state of corruption in Nigeria” which he delivered at the Chinua Achebe leadership forum at Yale University, a coveted institution in America.
Obasanjo claimed that Nigeria was sinking deeper into a trimlemma of insecurity, division, and underdevelopment which he attributed to weak leadership, widespread corruption, and a lack of accountability.
According to him, “the more the immorality and corruption of a nation, the more the nation sinks into chaos, insecurity, conflict, and disunity.
“The failing state status of Nigeria is confirmed and glaringly indicated for all to see,” the one time military leader declared.
Obasanjo associated President Tinubu with the epithets “Baba-go-slow” and “Emilokan,” a term which assumed national acclaim during Tinubu’s election campaign.
Drawing inspiration from Chinua Achebe’s 1983 treatise “The Trouble with Nigeria”, Obasanjo reiterated that the nation’s challenges stem from a failure of leadership. He dismissed notions that cultural or environmental factors are to blame, emphasising instead the inability of leaders to rise to the occasion.
Obasanjo also accused political elites of engaging in state capture, a form of corruption where powerful groups manipulate national policies, laws, and resources for personal gain. He highlighted the sale of national assets at undervalued prices and the undue influence of interest groups in shaping Nigeria’s economic and political landscape.
“State capture is one of the most pervasive forms of corruption,” Obasanjo explained. “What is happening in Nigeria – right before our eyes – is state capture, where public institutions are subject to undue influence from vested interests.”
The former president who maintained that Nigeria’s challenges were surmountable, criticized the intertwining of business and political elites through family ties, lobbying, and vote-buying, which he argued prioritizes private gain over public welfare.
He warned of the long-term implications on education, healthcare, infrastructure, and economic development.
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