Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has criticized the administration of President Bola Tinubu, warning that it may surpass the corruption record of former President Muhammadu Buhari’s government. In his newly released book, Nigeria: Past and Future, Obasanjo argued that misgovernance, waste, and corruption persist under the current administration despite promises of reform.
Obasanjo did not hold back in his assessment, calling Buhari’s government the worst civil administration in Nigeria’s history. He accused Buhari’s Attorney General, Abubakar Malami, of enabling corruption and facilitating questionable pardons for convicted politicians. He further warned that the Tinubu administration appears to be following the same path, stating, “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.’”
One of the key projects Obasanjo criticized was the N15.6 trillion Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, which he described as wasteful and riddled with corruption. He also condemned the construction of a N21 billion official residence for Vice President Kashim Shettima, calling it a misplaced priority. “The President has turned a deaf ear to protests on the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road, and the new Vice-President’s residence built at a cost of N21 billion in a time of economic hardship is nothing but a symbol of the administration hitting the ground running in wastefulness,” he wrote.
In response, the Presidency dismissed Obasanjo’s criticisms, arguing that the Lagos-Calabar highway is a visionary project with long-term economic benefits. Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communications, Sunday Dare, said, “Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway is a legacy project with enormous economic potential. Similar criticisms were made about the Lekki-Epe corridor, which has since become a major economic hub.”
The Minister of Works, David Umahi, also defended the project, stating, “The project is not wasteful or corrupt. It is already 70% completed, and it will bring prosperity to the citizens.” He further claimed that Tinubu’s critics were jealous of his achievements. “His peers are jealous and angry, but that means he is doing very well, especially on what nobody has been able to do,” Umahi said.
Obasanjo also revisited Buhari’s past failures, pointing out the irony of his anti-corruption rhetoric in 1983 compared to his administration’s alleged corruption. He recalled how Buhari justified his military coup against Shehu Shagari by citing corruption, only to preside over a government plagued by financial scandals decades later. “Words are cheap, and what needed to be done was left undone during Buhari’s civil administration from 2015 to 2023, the worst civil administration regime so far in Nigerian history,” Obasanjo wrote.
The former president did not spare Malami, accusing him of manipulating the legal system for financial gain. He claimed that the former Attorney General played a role in the controversial pardons of former governors Joshua Dariye and Jolly Nyame, who were convicted of embezzling state funds. Obasanjo argued that Malami’s actions discouraged anti-corruption agencies like the EFCC from pursuing high-profile cases.
Another major controversy highlighted in the book was the failed Nigeria Air project. Obasanjo accused former Aviation Minister Hadi Sirika of mismanaging N85 billion meant for the project. He claimed Sirika hired an Ethiopian airline, painted it in Nigerian colors, and presented it as a national carrier before the administration’s exit. “About 230 million Nigerians were taken for a ride as if we were all stupid fools,” Obasanjo said.
Obasanjo warned that Tinubu’s administration risks continuing the pattern of corruption and waste seen under Buhari. He cited previous government missteps, including the cancellation of the Lagos Metro project under Buhari’s military rule and the Ajaokuta Steel Plant concession revoked under late President Umaru Yar’Adua. According to him, these decisions cost Nigeria billions in compensation payments and economic setbacks.
The Presidency, however, dismissed Obasanjo’s claims as an attempt to rewrite history. Special Assistant to the President on Social Media, Dada Olusegun, said, “Former President Obasanjo has just published a memoir containing claims that would further relegate his integrity as the leader who opened Nigeria to the cankerworms of corruption.” He argued that Tinubu is making tough decisions that previous administrations, including Obasanjo’s, failed to take.
