Former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, has stated that many individuals currently in public office in Nigeria should be locked up in prison.
According to him, leaders do not possess the necessary qualities to effectively lead the nation, suggesting they would be better suited for incarceration or worse.
Obasanjo made these remarks at his home in Abeokuta, Ogun State, during a meeting with six members of the House of Representatives who are co-sponsoring legislation aimed at establishing a single six-year term, as well as advocating for the rotation of the presidency between the northern and southern regions, and the rotation of governorship positions among the three senatorial districts in each of the 36 states.
Obasanjo noted that the proposed six-year single-term presidency is not a viable solution to the challenges bedevilling the country.
The former president stressed the need for the country to rethink its democracy.
Obasanjo emphasized that the West African nation is precariously positioned, likening it to a powder keg that could erupt if leaders do not take bold and decisive actions to tackle the numerous challenges at hand.
The former President asserted that the demands raised by the #EndBadGovernance protesters are entirely valid, urging the government to address these issues rather than merely masking them.
He pointed out that it is inappropriate for those in power to continue enjoying lavish lifestyles while urging the struggling populace to persevere.
Obasanjo expressed disappointment over the inability of successive administrations to build upon the groundwork he established, highlighting that this has led to considerable setbacks for the country.
His words read: “More than anything else, such as changing our system of government or moving to a single term of six or four years, we must change our ways of doing things in this country, we must decarbonise our brains, we must change our mentality and character.
“How I wish that the succeeding governments had built on the foundation we laid, even if not as fast as one would have wanted it. Sadly, the blocks we put there are even being removed.
“What I know about Nigeria is that, yes, if we get it right—the leadership, the team, because one tree does not make a forest—you need a good leader, but you also need a good team for a job well done.
“The point is that if we get this right, in about two and a half years, we shall get some of the challenges behind us, and in about 10 years, we would have a solid foundation, and in about 25 years, we would be there.
“But what we have always done is take one step forward, two steps aside, and four steps backwards, which is why we are where we are in the country.
“For me, it is not so much about the system, but we may need to rethink the liberal democracy where we talk of loyal opposition. What we do in Africa is sit down and reach a consensus, and after we have done that, there is no opposition; everyone is on the same page, and we move together.
“The word for opposition in all African languages that I have looked into is ‘enemies.’ What do you do with loyal enemies? Nothing like that; once you take it, it belongs to you—the winners take all, and the opposition goes into the wilderness. That is what we do, but this is not good. We need everyone to join hands together and move society forward.
“The issue for me, if we get it right, whether we have a single term of six years or two terms of four years, is that we must decarbonise our brains and mentality.
“If you give someone a single term of six years, they can still do the evil they would have done in a case of two terms of four years. The only difference is that they would have done it within six years and not four years. That is if they were not re-elected for another four years.
“To me, this is not our problem. Our main problem is ourselves, and until we take care of ourselves, even if we adopt a single term of six years or one term of four years, with the same mentality and the same way of doing things, nothing will change.
“So, the very beginning is ourselves. Yes, we have to rethink our democracy, but the character of people in government must change. With all due respect, most of those in government should right now be behind bars or in the gallows.”
