Obasanjo Slams Nigerian Leaders As ‘Satanic, Self-Centered’, Calls For Afrodemocracy

Abeokuta, Ogun State– Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has launched a scathing attack on Nigeria’s political elite, branding many past and present leaders as “satanic, self-centered,” and only interested in corruptly enriching themselves while leaving the country worse than they met it.

Obasanjo made the remarks in his newly released book, Nigeria: Past and Future, unveiled last week as part of events marking his 88th birthday.

The former president criticised governors, ministers, commissioners, and local government chairpersons, accusing them of being ill-prepared for leadership and engaging in reckless financial misconduct.

In his book, Obasanjo alleged that many politicians secure billions in loans before assuming office, confident they can repay from public funds.

He cited an example of a governor who cleared billions in personal debt within two years without any visible business activities.

“You are left to guess where the money came from,” he wrote. “Having got away with that in the first term, he consigned to himself almost half of the state resources in the second term.”

He further condemned government executives who manipulate contracts, treaties, and borrowings, describing them as “criminally ridiculous” and “unfit for office.”

Assessing President Bola Tinubu’s administration, Obasanjo suggested that corruption remains entrenched in governance.

“The game of short-changing over 230 million Nigerians continues because everything is transactional, and the slogan is ‘It’s my turn to chop,’” he wrote.

He cited the N15.6 trillion Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway as a prime example of “waste, corruption, and misplaced priority.”

The project, which costs N4.93 billion per kilometer, has been widely criticized for its funding structure.

Meanwhile, Obasanjo condemned the N21 billion construction of a new residence for Vice President Kashim Shettima, calling it a misplaced priority.

The former president also called for a review of Nigeria’s democratic system, arguing that Western liberal democracy has failed Africa.

“We should seek democracy within African history, culture, attributes, and characteristics—one that takes necessary African factors into consideration,” he wrote, coining the term “Afrodemocracy.”

Obasanjo suggested that Nigeria should draft an “African people’s constitution” that better suits its unique political landscape.