Obasanjo’s Call for Change: Why Corrupt Politicians Should Face the Consequences

Olusegun Obasanjo - Nigeria former president 

So, let us talk about corruption in Nigeria. Olusegun Obasanjo the former president who doesn’t mince his words, recently made a pretty bold statement. He’s calling for the imprisonment of corrupt politicians yes, you read that right! According to Obasanjo, politicians who’ve been involved in any form of shady dealings should be behind bars, no questions asked. His argument is simple “Thieves can’t provide good governance.”

Obasanjo, now 87, wasn’t just throwing around wild accusations. He delivered this strong message virtually at a memorial lecture in Lagos, honoring the late cleric Denis Joseph Slattery. The main point of his speech? Moral accountability in governance. If you’re going to lead you need to be clean full stop. He stressed that officials who lack integrity can not be trusted to make decisions that are in the best interest of the people.

Obasanjo did not hold back when he called out those currently in power. both in the executive and legislative branches. He hinted that some of these folks have such questionable pasts that they belong behind bars, and not just for a short stint. These are people who’ve allegedly been involved in criminal acts and misconduct. His reasoning is blunt: you can’t expect people who’ve stolen from the country to suddenly become champions of justice. It just doesn’t work that way.

He went on to share some of his personal experiences with corruption in Nigerian politics. When he first got into politics, the level of corruption among election officials floored him. It was so normal that no one batted an eye. And general misconduct? It was taken lightly, with barely any repercussions. At one point, Obasanjo confronted someone about blatantly lying, and the response he got was, “It’s just politics, Sir.” That pretty much sums up the mindset anything goes in the name of politics.

This normalization of bad behavior in the political space is something Obasanjo believes needs to change. He’s calling for Nigeria to stop accepting transactional, short-term leadership and instead seek out transformational leaders those who are honest, principled, and focused on the future. He’s advocating for truth over lies, inclusion over marginalization, and production over deduction.

The message is clear: corruption is a huge roadblock to real progress in Nigeria, and it’s high time for accountability. And by accountability, Obasanjo means serious consequences for those who’ve wronged the nation. So, could this be the wake-up call Nigeria needs?