Former president decries insecurity, weak global influence, ECOWAS missteps, and rising out-of-school population as signs of deep leadership failure

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has delivered a scathing assessment of President Bola Tinubu’s administration, declaring that any government that fails to safeguard lives and property has no justification to remain in power.

Speaking during an interview on News Central’s Soni Irabor Live over the weekend, Obasanjo blamed Nigeria’s worsening security and governance challenges on poor leadership, warning that the country is steadily losing relevance on the global stage.

He lamented that Nigeria, once a key player in international affairs, is now largely absent from major global conversations, describing the development as a reflection of weak leadership and declining influence.

The former president also criticized the administration’s handling of regional diplomacy, particularly within the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). According to him, Nigeria’s response to the recent coup in Niger Republic—including border closures, electricity cuts, and financial restrictions—has strained long-standing bilateral ties.

Obasanjo argued that the country’s diminishing authority beyond its borders mirrors deeper internal failures, especially in governance and security.

On the domestic front, he warned against the normalization of insecurity, stressing that crimes such as kidnapping should never be accepted as part of daily life. He contrasted the current situation with earlier periods when Nigerians could travel freely across the country without fear.

“The first responsibility of any government, no matter how that government comes into being, is the security of life and property,” he said. “A government that cannot give security of life and property to its citizens has forfeited the right of existence.”

Obasanjo traced the roots of Nigeria’s security crisis to the post-civil war era, citing the proliferation of small arms and the failure to properly control weapons. He added that decades of poor governance have further worsened the situation.

He also pointed to both domestic and external factors fueling insecurity, including the influx of armed fighters following the collapse of Libya under Muammar Gaddafi, as well as the use of armed groups for political purposes within Nigeria.

Raising further concern, Obasanjo highlighted the growing number of out-of-school children—estimated at about 20 million—warning that the trend poses a long-term security risk as many could be drawn into criminal or extremist activities.

He expressed deep concern about Nigeria’s trajectory, stating that he sees little evidence of meaningful progress under the current administration. He also criticized the erosion of democratic processes, noting that elections are increasingly failing to reflect the true will of the people, thereby weakening accountability in governance.