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According to Sunday Dare, who serves as Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Public Communication and Orientation, Nigeria’s democratic development was deeply affected by various setbacks during the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, creating obstacles that slowed the nation’s political evolution.
Via a statement shared on his X account Monday, Dare conveyed that successive administrations have been burdened with the consequences of Obasanjo’s leadership, but he expressed confidence that President Tinubu is now making substantial headway in resolving these issues.
In Dare’s view, Obasanjo no longer holds the moral authority to criticize the current government, calling instead for him to issue a public apology to Nigerians for his failure to lay the necessary groundwork for the country’s progress.
He said, “Democracy suffered mortal wounds under his watch, only exacerbated by his destructive obsession with an ill-fated third-term bid.
“He is a man with a tremendous capacity for mischief, and Nigerians know it.
“His journey down the path of delusion has always been apparent, as has his descent into distorting facts, forgetting that he presided over a presidency that was among the most corrupt in history. His recent comments at Yale University lack sincerity.
“It is laughable that Obasanjo’s pretensions about fighting corruption are failing to convince the general public.”
Dare criticized Obasanjo’s administration for failing to provide an explanation for the $16 billion invested in power generation, a colossal sum that resulted in little more than “megawatts of darkness” across the nation.
“But that is not even the main issue. The Yoruba proverb, ‘A o ki n wo ariwo oja, eniti a anba na oja ni a n wo,’ teaches that we should not be distracted by the noise of the market. Instead, we should focus on the person with whom we are negotiating.
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“This is an instructive lesson. In this market called Nigeria, the man with the ‘Renewed Hope’ agenda is the one that matters – President Tinubu and, indeed, Nigerians.
“Everything else is just ‘ariwo oja’ (market noise). This administration will remain focused on bringing relief to Nigerians. Obasanjo’s remarks are a reflection of the childish nature of market noise.
“President Tinubu will stay the course in seeing through the reforms he has initiated for a better Nigeria,” he added.
He recommended that Obasanjo cease his ongoing criticisms of those who followed him and instead reflect on how his own leadership may have contributed to the precarious state of Nigeria, which President Tinubu is now resolutely working to restore.
“We thank former President Obasanjo for acknowledging that ‘Yes, there is hope.’ That’s the ‘Renewed Hope’ agenda that President Tinubu is advancing, and it’s well on track. We look forward to having that conversation with the former president,” he concluded.
