Stop Using Language Of War – Senator Ibrahim Knocks Obasanjo Over ‘Failed State’ Comment

Senator Jimoh Ibrahim has criticized former President Olusegun Obasanjo for describing Nigeria as a “failing state.”

Obasanjo, who served as Nigeria’s president from 1999 to 2007, recently attributed the country’s challenges to “widespread corruption, poor leadership, and immorality” under the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

He made the remarks during a keynote address at the Chinua Achebe Leadership Forum at Yale University, Connecticut, USA.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today program, Senator Ibrahim, a member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), dismissed Obasanjo’s comments, stating they were unbefitting of an elder statesman.

He said, “I disagree with President Obasanjo that Nigeria is a failed state. Furthermore, I disagree with his use of the language of war during peacetime. This is not the time for such divisive rhetoric.”

Ibrahim also highlighted his credentials as an elder statesman, referencing his national honors — Officer of the Federal Republic (OFR) and Commander of the Order of Nigeria (CON). “Do you think those are small achievements?” he asked.

The senator argued that Obasanjo’s assessment was overly focused on the economy and failed to address other pressing issues.

He suggested the former president, with his military background, should concentrate on providing insights into Nigeria’s security challenges.

Obasanjo had earlier painted a grim picture of Nigeria’s state, stating, “The more immorality and corruption persist, the more a nation sinks into chaos, insecurity, disunity, depression, and underdevelopment.”

In response, the presidency accused Obasanjo of hypocrisy, claiming his administration was one of the most corrupt in Nigeria’s history.

Presidential spokesman Sunday Dare dismissed the former president’s comments as insincere, describing Obasanjo as a man with “a tremendous capacity for mischief.”

“Nigerians know his track record. His remarks at Yale University are just another episode of his penchant for muddling facts and revising history,” Dare wrote on his X handle.