ABUJA — Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has issued a brutal indictment of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s government, describing the current administration as a “failure” and warning Nigerians against sustaining incompetent leadership.
In a video that went viral on Thursday, April 9, 2026, the former military head of state and two-term civilian president did not mince words, labeling the government ineffective and incompetent.
“We Are All Victims”
Speaking with his trademark bluntness, Obasanjo stated that the hardship currently facing the nation is a direct result of poor governance. He argued that the struggles of private businesses and the declining livelihoods of citizens are avoidable consequences of a non-performing leadership.
“When you have an ineffective and incompetent government, we are all victims,” Obasanjo declared. “Those of your businesses would be better today if they had a competent and effective and performing government.”
No Room for Excuses
The former president dismissed the administration’s frequent habit of blaming past governments for Nigeria’s current woes. He noted that while every leader inherits challenges, the essence of leadership is to solve them rather than use them as a shield for lack of results.
“You came in because you know that there are challenges… and giving us excuses. That is why you haven’t achieved results,” he said.
A Military Warning
Drawing from his professional background, Obasanjo invoked a core principle of his military training to caution Nigerians about the future.
“The first lesson I learned in my military training is never reinforce failure,” he warned. “What we have now is failure. Never you reinforce it.”
Context and Reaction
This latest broadside comes at a time of heightened political tension as the 2027 election cycle begins to take shape. While Obasanjo has been a frequent critic of the Tinubu administration—previously accusing it of “state capture”—this “failure” tag is his most direct attempt yet to de-legitimize the government’s performance.
As of Thursday evening, the Presidency has not issued an official rebuttal. However, in previous instances, presidential spokespersons have dismissed Obasanjo’s criticisms as “self-righteous,” often pointing to the alleged failures of his own administration between 1999 and 2007.
