L-R: Muhammadu Buhari and Olusegun Obasanjo during the council of state meeting held at the State House, Abuja. Photo credit: Sunday Aghaeze
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has accused his predecessor, Muhammadu Buhari, of enabling corruption, particularly in the state pardons granted to two convicted former governors in 2022.
In his newly released book, ‘Nigeria: Past and Future’, Obasanjo said Buhari’s government oversaw “the most atrocious waste” and that “corruption was at its peak” during his tenure.
In the book, which was unveiled during his 88th birthday celebration, Obasanjo also criticised Abubakar Malami, the former attorney-general of the federation, describing him as a “devil’s workshop”.
“The most atrocious waste, the entrenchment of corruption, and the suppression of officials fighting it occurred under President Buhari’s watch and his attorney general, Abubakar Malami, whom he turned into a devil’s workshop,” PUNCH quoted Obasanjo as alleging.
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In 2022, Buhari granted pardon to Joshua Dariye, former governor of Plateau state, and Jolly Nyame, former governor of Taraba state.
Nyame was serving a 12-year jail sentence for diverting N1.64 billion during his tenure, while Dariye was jailed for 10 years over N1.126 billion fraud.
The former governors were among 159 inmates pardoned at a council of state on the grounds of age and ill health.
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Obasanjo alleged that Malami “strongly” advised Buhari to grant the pardons, claiming the process was corrupt and that Dariye and Nyame “were not actually terminally ill, as initially claimed”.
“It was all part of Malami’s financial shenanigans, and he played many such schemes to his advantage,” Obasanjo said.
“His principal concurred, condoned, turned a blind eye and a deaf ear, and paid lip service to fighting corruption while cohabiting comfortably with corruption in multifarious ways.”
Meanwhile, at the time the state pardon was granted, it had generated controversy, with critics saying it would undermine the country’s fight against corruption.
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But Buhari’s government defended the decision, insisting it was made in the interest of fairness.
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