Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has condemned the N15.6 trillion Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project and the N21 billion official residence for Vice President Kashim Shettima, describing them as wasteful, corrupt, and misplaced priorities.
Obasanjo made these remarks in his new book, ‘Nigeria: Past and Future’, where he analyzed the leadership styles of past and present government officials. The book was launched last week to mark his 88th birthday.
The former president accused the Bola Tinubu administration of prioritizing personal and transactional interests over national development.
He also criticised the government’s decision to award the Lagos-Calabar highway contract to Hitech Construction Company without competitive bidding, alleging a link between Tinubu and the company’s owner, Gilbert Chagoury.
According to Minister of Works David Umahi, the 700km road project will cost N4.93 billion per kilometer, with an initial N1.06 trillion released for the pilot phase.
However, the contract has faced intense scrutiny from opposition figures, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
Obasanjo further criticized Nigerian leaders for being ill-prepared and self-serving, claiming that many politicians seek office solely to enrich themselves and their associates.
He also advocated for a shift away from Western liberal democracy, suggesting a governance model tailored to Africa’s unique history and cultural realities, which he termed ‘Afrodemocracy’.
“If the West, from where the liberal democracy started should complain about it not working well for them, we should be wise enough at this stage to interrogate, carry out introspection, internal analysis and realise that Western liberal democracy is not working for us and is not delivering apart from the shortcomings of the operators.
“We should seek democracy within African history, culture, attributes and characteristics, one that will take necessary African factors into consideration. Until we can get a better word or description for it, let us call it Afrodemocracy.
“It is from Afrodemocracy that we will draw up an African people’s constitution for any African that chooses to go the way of Afrodemocracy, which will avoid most, to all, the faults we have found in Western liberal democracy,” he suggested.