Former President Obasanjo Claims Nigeria Became A ‘Failed State’ Under Buhari, Tinubu

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo claimed that Nigeria was a "failed state" because of the policies of leaders such as Muhammadu Buhari and Bola Tinubu, as the country entered into a state of chaos, insecurity and underdevelopment.

Obasanjo made these comments while delivering a keynote, titled "Leadership Failure and State Capture in Nigeria," during a paper presentation at the Chinua Achebe Leadership Forum at Yale University in the United States.

Although Obasanjo did not directly name the two leaders, he referred to the nicknames used for them by their opponents: "Baba-go-slow" for former President Buhari and "Emilokan" for President Tinubu, Premium Times reported.

He said that Nigeria's situation was worsening, and pointed out that the more a nation faced immorality and corruption, the more it fell into chaos, insecurity, conflict, division, and underdevelopment.

Obasanjo noted that the widespread corruption, incompetence, injustice and other such issues added to the country's status as a failing state, while stressing that Nigerian politicians have compromised the judiciary, contributing to what he called a large-scale "state capture."

He criticized the common response of "go to court" for election disputes, saying it showed how the judiciary has been weakened. According to Obasanjo, the Nigerian judiciary was now a much weaker version of the respected institution it once was internationally.

Obasanjo claimed that many judges were influenced by wealthy politicians and individuals, making decisions based on money rather than the law. Obasanjo described this as one of the most effective strategies of state capture, which he said must be removed from Nigeria like a surgeon removing cancer.

The former president also pointed out that political elites were sabotaging the economy for personal gain, including buying national assets at very low prices.

He stressed that the purchase of national assets by politicians and their families, as well as the allocation of national resources to local, regional and international players, should be banned through strong laws.

Without naming anyone, Obasanjo mentioned that a former governor still controlled his state 25 years after leaving office. He described this as a case of one governor continuing to hold the state captive even after his time in office.