Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has accused President Bola Tinubu of following the same path of poor governance as the late former President Muhammadu Buhari, warning that his administration is “competing in inefficiency” with that of his predecessor.
Obasanjo made the remark in his new book, Nigeria: Past and Future, which he unveiled to mark his 88th birthday.
The publication, alongside another book titled Lest We Forget: Slavery, Slave Trade, Emancipation and Reparation, was launched in Abeokuta, Ogun State.
Reviewing Nigeria’s leadership since independence, Obasanjo described Buhari’s government as the “worst civil administration regime” in Nigeria’s history.
“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,” he wrote.
Obasanjo recalled that Buhari once castigated former President Shehu Shagari’s administration as corrupt and rudderless but ended up failing to live up to his own promises when he returned as a democratically elected leader.
“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?” he queried.
Buhari, who led Nigeria between 2015 and 2023, presided over a period marked by economic collapse, inflation, and surging unemployment.
The administration left a ₦49.8trn debt burden and worsening insecurity.
The former president, who died in 2025, was remembered with mixed reactions across the country.
Turning to the current administration, Obasanjo said Tinubu’s leadership had brought Nigerians little relief, especially following the removal of fuel subsidy and the floating of the naira in May 2023.
Since those policies were introduced, inflation has soared to 34.80 percent as of 2024, with food inflation reaching 39.84 percent year-on-year.
The situation, according to Obasanjo, has left millions of households struggling to survive.
“Only Bola Tinubu’s administration seems to be competing with Buhari’s for now,” Obasanjo remarked.
He further criticised the government’s inability to bring down commodity prices or tackle rising unemployment and insecurity, noting that Nigerians continue to face economic hardship without clear solutions in sight.
Speaking on his lifelong commitment to Nigeria’s progress, the former president said his interventions through books and public commentary were meant to guide the nation towards better governance.
“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 reflected.
Responding to critics who have labelled him a hypocrite, Obasanjo insisted that his conscience is clear.
“My writings are not for self-justification but for national development,” he added.
As of press time, the presidency has not reacted to Obasanjo’s comments.
