Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has strongly criticized the Bola Tinubu administration over what he described as wasteful and corrupt projects, notably the N15.6 trillion Lagos-Calabar coastal highway and the N21 billion allocated for a new residence for Vice President Kashim Shettima.
The former president made these assertions in Chapter Six of his newly released book, Nigeria: Past and Future, unveiled during events marking his 88th birthday last week.
According to The Punch, Obasanjo labeled the coastal highway project as a “murky” initiative and an example of “waste, corruption, and misplaced priority,” accusing the administration of ignoring public concerns and protests surrounding the controversial project.
“Typical examples of waste, corruption, and misplaced priority are the murky Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road on which the President had turned deaf ears to protests and the new Vice-President’s official residence built at a cost of N21bn in the time of economic hardship,” he wrote, criticizing the government’s actions as tone-deaf amid growing economic challenges.
He further condemned the current administration’s governance style, describing it as “transactional,” where state resources are allegedly captured and distributed among associates to silence dissent.
“State resources are captured and appropriated, with a pittance to staff and associates to silence whistleblowers,” Obasanjo stated in the book.
The former president didn’t stop at criticizing federal projects. He extended his rebuke to leaders across all levels—governors, ministers, commissioners, and local government chairmen—whom he accused of lacking vision and using their offices for personal gain.
“Many clamouring to lead are only interested in using their offices to enrich themselves and their cronies, leaving the country worse off,” he wrote.
Obasanjo also reiterated his longstanding view that Western liberal democracy may not be suitable for Africa. Instead, he advocated for a homegrown governance model he termed “Afrodemocracy.”
“We should seek democracy within African history, culture, attributes, and characteristics… Until we can get a better word or description for it, let us call it Afrodemocracy,” he said.