‘Obasanjo Has No Moral Standing To Point Fingers On Matters Of Corruption’ – Tinubu’s Aide

Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajaiyi, has slammed former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, stating he should avoid public interventions on corruption and electoral integrity.

Naija News reported that Obasanjo had called for the appointment of new and credible leaders for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) with short tenures to curb corruption and rebuild public trust in Nigeria’s electoral system.

Speaking at the Chinua Achebe Leadership Forum held at Yale University in Connecticut, USA, Obasanjo delivered a keynote address titled “Leadership Failure and State Capture in Nigeria,” where he described the 2023 general elections as a “travesty.”

The former president emphasized the need for comprehensive reform of the electoral system, including rigorous vetting of INEC officials to eliminate partisan influences.

Obasanjo proposed appointing credible leadership at all levels—federal, state, and local—with limited tenures to prevent political interference and corruption.

He stressed that the INEC chairperson must be “transparently independent and incorruptible.”

Highlighting the importance of safeguarding democratic integrity, Obasanjo called for measures to prevent electoral interference and advocated for clear financial regulations to ensure transparency in political campaigns.

In a post via X, Tinubu’s aide stated that Obasanjo has no moral right to point fingers on corruption and electoral integrity matters.

He wrote, “Matters of corruption and electoral integrity are subjects former President Olusegun Obasanjo should always avoid in his public interventions. On the two subjects, the former leader does not have any moral standing to point fingers.”