Former President Olusegun Obasanjo says he is in a hurry to see Nigeria rise to greatness.
He said he is “getting close” to his departure lounge in life.
Obasanjo made the remark while speaking on his new book, Nigeria: Past and Future, where he assessed the country’s leadership journey and issued stern criticisms of successive governments.
The former military Head of State (1976–1979) and civilian President (1999–2007) explained that his interventions over the years, through books, letters, and public statements, were motivated by patriotism and not malice.
“All my writings have been aimed at making Nigeria better because I strongly believe in documentation and in the possibility of a better Nigeria,” Obasanjo said.
He said his works, such as My Command, Nzeogwu, Not My Will, My Watch (a three-volume autobiography), and several letters to leaders during moments of crisis, were intended to guide, not to condemn.
“Some have accused me of being guilty of the same failings I criticised. But I rely on my conscience and my records and have no need to defend myself,” he stated.
Obasanjo described the government of former President Muhammadu Buhari (2015–2023) as “the worst civil administration so far in Nigeria’s history.”
He accused Buhari of failing to confront corruption, mismanagement, and electoral malpractice — the same ills he had used to justify the 1983 coup against President Shehu Shagari. “Words are cheap, and what needed to be done was left undone,” Obasanjo wrote.
Turning to the present, he said the Bola Tinubu administration was “competing with Buhari’s in inefficiency.”
Obasanjo, however, maintained that his legacy would speak for him, citing his sacrifices in war, peacekeeping, imprisonment, and national service. “I have seen the best and the worst of Nigeria. Yes, mistakes were made, but great things were also done. My life has been a crucible of rural struggles, military service, humiliation and triumphs, all of which have taught me lasting lessons,” he said.
“I want to see Nigeria succeed soon. I may be close to my departure, but my desire is to witness the nation attain the greatness it deserves,” the elder statesman added.