The Presidency has launched a scathing critique of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, accusing him of a lack of sincerity and moral authority in his recent comments on governance in Nigeria. In a statement addressing Obasanjo’s remarks at Yale University, Special Adviser on Public Communications and Orientation to President Bola Tinubu, Sunday Dare, in a post on his X handle, described the former president as a man with “a tremendous capacity for mischief,” whose “hallucinations” and misrepresentation of facts have been well-documented.
Dare highlighted Obasanjo’s administration as one marred by corruption, referencing the widely criticized $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,” Dare said.
The former Minister of Youth and Sports 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 argued, have struggled to repair the damage, with President Tinubu 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.”
Dare dismissed Obasanjo’s anti-corruption stance as “pretentious,” asserting that Nigerians were 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 emphasized 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 criticizing 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.”