Presidency erupts in outrage, launches blistering attack on Obasanjo over democracy comment

A political storm is brewing as the Presidency points the finger squarely at former President Olusegun Obasanjo for the current turbulence in Nigeria’s democracy.

In a sensational revelation, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, unleashed scathing criticism, declaring that Obasanjo himself laid the foundation for the nation’s democratic woes.

Onanuga, in a riveting interview with our reporter, argued that the roots of the current democratic framework stretch back to Obasanjo’s influential role as both a military Head of State (1976-1979) and a civilian President (1999-2007). The accusatory tone suggests that Obasanjo, once a key architect of Nigeria’s political landscape, is now reaping the consequences of his own political choices.

“Obasanjo ought to know that he brought this thing into Nigeria. He was the one who made us adopt it in 1979,” Onanuga declared, painting a vivid picture of the political maze left in Obasanjo’s wake.

The condemnation from the Presidency comes hot on the heels of Obasanjo’s scorching critique of Western liberal democracy. The former president, at a high-level consultation on rethinking Western democracy in Africa, lambasted the model, arguing that it had failed to deliver good governance and development on the continent.

Obasanjo’s call for an “Afro democracy” tailored to Africa’s unique needs added fuel to the already blazing political debate. He decried the Western model’s disregard for African history and complexities, proposing a reexamination and moderation of democracy to better suit the continent.

However, the Presidency swiftly countered Obasanjo’s criticisms, accusing him of poorly copying a model during his own tenure as Head of State and President. Onanuga took aim at Obasanjo’s decision to adopt the American-style presidential system, claiming that the former leader failed to grasp the spirit of the system.