Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has once again expressed deep disappointment over President Muhammadu Buhari’s performance since becoming Nigerian’s civilian president in 2015.
The former president was particularly miffed by what he called President Buhari’s ‘nepotic tendencies’.
Obasanjo was speaking on Sunday in The Toyin Falola Interviews, a virtual interview series hosted by Professor Oloruntoyin Falola.
The session featured many Nigerians from different countries and professions who asked the former president questions on national issues.
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Obasanjo responding to a question by Dr. Obadiah Mailafia, African Democratic Congress presidential candidate in the 2015 election, on the state of affairs in Nigeria, stated that while he had thought he knew President Buhari, having worked with him in the past, he was not aware that the president had “nepotic tendencies”.
He said, “I thought I knew President Buhari because he worked with me. And I use to ask; is it that I had not read him well or read him adequately? Or is it that he has changed from the Buhari that I used to know?
“I’m not subscribing to the people who say we have a new Buhari from Sudan or something, or that nonsense.
“And yes, I know what I believe was his limitation and I had written about it. He wasn’t strong in economics but then not all us are strong there but you need to have sufficient knowledge of it to understand and direct affairs.
“He wasn’t particularly too strong in foreign affairs but I thought in the military he was strong enough and his performance in his first outing as military head of state, I thought he would also do well in fighting corruption.
“I did not know the nepotic tendencies of President Buhari may be because he was not exposed to that sort of situation when he worked with me.”
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He also accused Buhari of not decisively tackling Nigeria’s security challenges, noting that the president may be seen now to be concerned about the legacy he would leave behind at the end of his tenure.
“From what I have seen now, I think he would be thinking of his legacy. If you are the commander-in-chief and banditry is taking place in your backyard, then you have to wake up,” the former president stated.
Obasanjo also said that he believed that some governors are taking advantage of Buhari with the situation in the country because of his style of leadership.
