Sunday Dare: Obasanjo ran the most corrupt presidency… he wasted $16bn to generate darkness

Sunday Dare, special adviser on public communication and orientation to President Bola Tinubu, has criticised Olusegun Obasanjo over a recent remark against the current administration.

Speaking at a leadership forum held at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, USA, Obasanjo said Nigeria’s failing state status is due to “widespread corruption, poor leadership, and immorality” under Tinubu.

He accused the political elite of engaging in “state capture”, adding that they manipulate national policies and resources for personal gains.

Responding to the criticism on Monday, Dare said Obasanjo does not have the moral right to censure Tinubu’s government, adding that “democracy suffered mortal wounds under his watch”.

“Former president Obasanjo is a man with a tremendous capacity for mischief and Nigerians know it. His journey along the path of hallucinations has never been in doubt,” Dare posted on his X page.

“So is his descent into muddling facts, forgetting that he ran a Presidency on record as the most corrupt. His recent diatribe at Yale University lacks sincerity.

“It is actually laughable that Obasanjo’s pretentiousness about fighting corruption is not cutting any ice in the eyes of the general public.

“We all know what happened under his watch and how, up till the present moment, there has been no explanation as to how he wasted a whopping $16bn in generating megawatts of darkness across the nation. But that is not even the issue.

“Democracy suffered mortal wounds under his watch only capped by his murderous rage for an ill-fated 3rd term. Successive administrations struggled to clean up the mess Obasanjo left behind, which President Tinubu is now making progress with.

“Obasanjo has lost any moral right to condemn any government. He should apologise to Nigerians for not laying the foundational infrastructure Nigeria needed to advance.

“The point here is that Obasanjo should take time off this habit of pulling down leaders, especially his successors and try to interrogate himself on how he has contributed to the parlous state of the Nigerian nation which president Bola Ahmed Tinubu is now spiritedly battling to put back on the track of development.

“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. We are happy to have that conversation with the former president.”