The Presidency has again fired back at former President Olusegun Obasanjo, labelling him unfit to comment on integrity, honesty, and morality in public leadership following his criticism of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
In a strongly-worded statement on Monday, Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, described Obasanjo as “certainly not a paragon of virtue for anyone to model after.”
Onanuga was responding to remarks Obasanjo made during the Chinua Achebe Leadership Forum at Yale University, where the former president criticised the Tinubu administration, citing corruption and economic hardship while branding the President as “Baba Go Slow” and “Emilokan”.
Onanuga dismissed Obasanjo’s critique as hypocritical.
He said, “In a recent display of his characteristic self-importance, former President Olusegun Obasanjo once again took to the public stage to bestow his unsolicited wisdom on leadership and governance in Nigeria.”
He added that the former President’s tendency to blame subsequent administrations had become a “recurring pastime,” distracting from the expectations of an elder statesman to contribute meaningfully to national progress.
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The statement also highlighted Obasanjo’s alleged failings during his tenure, including constitutional violations, mismanagement of national infrastructure, and controversies surrounding his administration’s handling of power sector reforms and privatisation programmes.
Onanuga noted that Obasanjo’s administration spent $16 billion on electricity projects that yielded no significant results and accused him of neglecting key infrastructure, such as federal roads and educational institutions.
“While oil receipts brought money into the country, Obasanjo failed to fix deplorable federal roads or expand the national road network,” Onanuga said.
He further accused Obasanjo of using his position to advance personal interests, citing the controversial establishment of the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library and his failed third-term bid in 2007.
The statement also referenced the late literary icon Chinua Achebe’s rejection of a national honour from Obasanjo’s administration in 2004. Achebe had cited abuse of power, corruption, and poor leadership as reasons for declining the award.
Onanuga argued that Obasanjo’s administration failed to make significant investments in security, leaving the Armed Forces poorly equipped.
He also blamed Obasanjo’s economic policies for Nigeria’s current challenges, claiming they were the root of issues inherited by successive administrations.
He added, “Instead of sermonising on governance, Obasanjo should reflect on the missed opportunities during his leadership, both as a military head of state and civilian president.”
