Obasanjo rates Tinubu’s government as rivalling Buhari’s in inefficiency

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has criticised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, saying it is the only government that appears to be competing with the late President Muhammadu Buhari’s tenure in terms of inefficiency.

Obasanjo made the remark in his latest book, Nigeria: Past and Future, one of two works he unveiled in March as part of activities marking his 88th birthday.

The second book, Lest We Forget: Slavery, Slave Trade, Emancipation and Reparation, examines historical injustices and their modern implications.

In the opening chapter of Nigeria: Past and Future, titled From the Beginning Till Now: The Missing Key, the former president provided a sweeping review of Nigeria’s leadership since independence.

He concluded that Buhari’s presidency (2015–2023) represented the “worst civil administration regime” in the nation’s history.

“Only Bola Tinubu’s administration seems to be competing with Buhari’s for now,” Obasanjo wrote.

He recalled Buhari’s past criticisms of the Shehu Shagari government, which he had once condemned as corrupt, rudderless, and self-serving. Obasanjo, however, argued that when Buhari returned as a democratically elected president, he failed to address those very shortcomings.

“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 so far in Nigeria’s history.

READ ALSO: Obasanjo Library condemns EFCC ‘Gestapo-style’ raid, demands apology

Maybe those ideas and thoughts were not his; he just read them as written for him. Otherwise, how do you explain the gulf between what he said then and how he governed later?” Obasanjo queried.

Reflecting on his own service to Nigeria, Obasanjo said his writings are motivated by a desire to inspire national development.

“I have had the honour of serving this country as a military Head of State and later as President. So, it might be said that I have sat on both sides of the fence. Now, I am getting close to my departure lounge, maybe without picking my boarding pass yet,” he remarked.

He also addressed critics who accuse him of hypocrisy, insisting that his conscience remains clear and that his interventions have always been guided by patriotism.

Obasanjo’s comments are likely to stir political debate as Nigeria grapples with economic hardship, rising insecurity, and widespread discontent under the Tinubu administration, less than two years into its tenure.