CC™ VideoScope
Tuesday
I’m in hurry to see Nigeria rise, getting close to my departure lounge — Says the droll who essentially killed Nigeria’s ascent in 1979
By Staff
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has said that he was in a hurry to see Nigeria attain its potential for greatness, stressing that he is now “getting close” to his departure lounge.
Obasanjo made the remark while reflecting on his years in public service and his new book, ‘Nigeria: Past and Future,’ where he assessed Nigeria’s leadership trajectory and criticized both past and present administrations.
According to him, his writings and interventions over the years have not been borne out of animosity but out of a desire to see that Nigeria progress.
“All my writings have been aimed at making Nigeria better because I strongly believe that Nigeria can be made better and I also believe in documentation,” he said.
The former president explained that he had written works such as ‘My Command’, ‘Nzeogwu’, ‘Not My Will’, and his three-volume autobiography, ‘My Watch’, to shed light on his experiences in leadership, policy decisions, imprisonment, and the challenges Nigeria has faced.
“I have written Letters to my superiors and my successors in moments of our nation’s troubles and challenges. I have done these not out of malice but to help leaders to learn lessons and to draw the attention of Nigerians to the nature of the various crises,” he noted.
Obasanjo, who ruled Nigeria as both military Head of State (1976–1979) and civilian President (1999–2007), said he was aware of criticisms that he often sounded sanctimonious, but insisted his conscience remained clear. “Some have accused me of being equally guilty of the things I have written about or accused others of. I rely on my conscience and my records and have no need to defend myself,” he stated.
On his years as a military leader, Obasanjo said he and his contemporaries may have been inexperienced but were patriotic. “We were young, maybe somewhat naïve at times but we were patriotic and committed and sincerely so. We sought to feed our people, we sought to provide infrastructure, we sought to prioritize education, we sought to bring Nigeria to modernity and raise our profile in the international arena,” he explained.
In his latest book, Obasanjo described the administration of the late President Muhammadu Buhari (2015–2023) as “the worst civil administration regime so far in Nigeria’s history.”
He recalled how Buhari, in justifying the 1983 coup against the then President Shehu Shagari, condemned corruption, mismanagement, and electoral malpractice, but failed to address those same issues when he later became a democratically elected president. “Good points and good words which Buhari failed to follow when he became the President years later. Words are cheap and what needed to be done was left undone during Buhari’s civil administration,” Obasanjo wrote.
However, Mallam Garba Shehu, spokesman to the late Buhari, said Obasanjo’s criticisms were rooted in personal animosity. “There are many around Buhari who hold that the spectacular falling out between him and his superior in the military…was on account of the demand, reportedly put to him by Obasanjo, that the contract for the Mambilla Power Project be given to a contractor he preferred. On this, Buhari politely told the former president to allow him to handle it his own way,” Shehu alleged in his book According to the President: Lessons from a Presidential Spokesman’s Experience.
Obasanjo also reserved harsh words for the current administration of President Bola Tinubu, accusing it of inefficiency. “Only Bola Tinubu’s administration seems to be competing with Buhari’s (in the area of inefficiency) for now,” he declared.
Efforts to obtain a response from the presidency were unsuccessful as calls and messages to the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, and the Minister of Information, Alhaji Mohammed Idris, were not responded to as of press time.
Obasanjo reiterated that his legacy would speak for him, noting that he had served Nigeria in different capacities, endured imprisonment, and witnessed both the best and worst of the nation. “Yes, I am both angry and sad because I have seen the best and the worst of our country. With hindsight, we know we made some mistakes, but again we did some great things in our country, for our country and for Africa,” he said.
“I have had the great honour of serving this country as a military Head of State and a President. So, it might be said that I have sat on both sides of the fence. I have gone through the crucible of rural life, meagre resources, military peacekeeping in Africa, war in my own country, humiliation and imprisonment. I have learned a lot from what I have gone through, pleasant and not-so-pleasant,” Obasanjo added.
Monday
Taribo West and the class of entitled footballers who think Nigeria owes them from cradle to grave
By Staff
Following the recent criticism former Super Eagles defender Taribo West leveled at the Federal Government over the neglect of retired footballers, his 1999 salary has resurfaced online, sparking buzz.
Taribo West, who played for AC Milan and Inter Milan, condemned authorities for abandoning ex-players during times of struggle, citing the recent deaths of Peter Rufai, Rasheed Yekini and Christian Chukwu as examples of the system’s failures.
Peter Rufai, a former national team goalkeeper, passed away in Lagos last month after battling a long-term illness, while Chukwu, another ex-Super Eagles captain and coach, had died shortly before.
The outspoken defender called out the lack of government support for football icons such as Stephen Keshi, Chukwu, and Rufai following their retirements.
Fellow former players, Augustine Eguavoen and Samson Siasia, also backed Taribo West’s claims, criticizing authorities for failing to assist with funeral arrangements and expenses.
Amid the debate, attention turned to Taribo West’s past earnings. Reports from All Africa and PM News revealed that he earned £1.24 million (?193 million) during his 1999 season at AC Milan, making him one of the world’s highest-paid players at the time.
Adjusted to today’s exchange rate, this amounts to about ?2.7 billion, sparking mixed reactions from the public.
Controversies surrounding Rufai’s funeral, held on August 22, 2025, further fueled the debate.
The outspoken defender called out the lack of government support for football icons such as Stephen Keshi, Chukwu, and Rufai following their retirements.
Fellow former players, Augustine Eguavoen and Samson Siasia, also backed Taribo West’s claims, criticizing authorities for failing to assist with funeral arrangements and expenses.
Amid the debate, attention turned to Taribo West’s past earnings. Reports from All Africa and PM News revealed that he earned £1.24 million (?193 million) during his 1999 season at AC Milan, making him one of the world’s highest-paid players at the time.
Adjusted to today’s exchange rate, this amounts to about ?2.7 billion, sparking mixed reactions among Nigerians.
These athletes, football players especially, gained fame and wealth as a result of their exploits with the national team, which allowed them to secure lucrative contracts with European and other foreign clubs.
While the nation is grateful for their exploits in the nation’s colors and has often rewarded them for such, the sense of entitlement has seemingly gone too far for most Nigerians, who feel that better money management, as well as smarter lifestyle choices, would have ensured a more stable and secure future for these athletes.
Sunday
Saturday
2027: ADC, a grand deception, says Obi’s 2023 running mate, Datti Ahmed
By Staff
Senator Datti Baba-Ahmed, the 2023 vice-presidential candidate of the Labour Party and running mate to Peter Obi, has dismissed the coalition-backed African Democratic Congress ADC as a grand deception, alleging that many of those who ruined Nigeria under the President Muhammadu Buhari administration are now seeking refuge in the party ahead of the 2027 elections.
Speaking during a late Friday interview on Channels TV monitored in Abuja, Baba-Ahmed said Nigeria’s fundamental problems are rooted in flawed leadership recruitment processes that have consistently produced corrupt and self-serving politicians.
According to him, electoral fraud has been the breeding ground for insecurity, corruption and the collapse of national institutions.
“Insecurity is derived from electoral fraud. Corruption is aggravated by the kind of elections we conduct. The destruction of our youth and our judiciary is guaranteed by the fraudulent electoral system we run,” he declared.
The former Senator also criticised the Buhari years. When reminded that some of those who served in the Buhari administration are now in the ADC masquerading as Nigeria’s potential messiahs, he said the late former president himself served in the corruption-soaked General Sani Abacha regime.
According to him, Nigeria is still recovering money traced to the Abacha administration. Baba-Ahmed said Nigerians were grossly disappointed after investing enormous expectations in the former president. He described Buhari’s government as one of the most corrupt in Nigeria’s history.
Speaking about the Abacha regime in which Buhari served as Chairman of the now-defunct Petroleum Trust Fund PTF, Baba-Ahmed said Nigerians were disappointed in the former president.
“Nigerians were absolutely disappointed. He (Buhari) was a gentleman who had no trade to his name. So the first thing to do after coming out of detention and everything was politics. During the Abacha time, the archenemy of Abacha became friends with this one, got an appointment, and when he got that appointment, it was a different story from the leadership of 1984/’85. There was no longer truth. There was no longer justice. It was corruption and corruption and corruption.
“Everybody knows how corrupt that (Abacha) government was. Up till now, money is still being claimed by the federal government as stolen during that period. Those who came to power in 2015 were like wolves. Corruption started afresh, and the whole system was about party and campaign contributions”.
Baba-Ahmed alleged that the political “ecosystem” around Buhari had always been motivated by self-interest rather than service.
“From 2003 to 2015, it was all about campaign contributions. Without party money, the ecosystem around him would starve. The ecosystem was about party contributions. It happened again in 2007, 2011 and then 2015. So when they got power, they were like wolves, “ he said.
On the defection of some former Buhari allies to the ADC, Baba-Ahmed was unequivocal: “They are deceiving us. The ADC is a deception. Those who ruined Nigeria between 2015 and 2023 cannot now come under a new platform and claim they want to fix the country.”
He insisted that he remains firmly in the Labour Party and loyal to Peter Obi. “I am in Labour Party, for God’s sake. I am a Peter Obi man, and I want him to contest again in 2027,” he stressed.
Friday
Judge blocks Texas law requiring Ten Commandments in classrooms
A US federal judge on Wednesday blocked a Texas law that would require public schools to display the Ten Commandments in every classroom.
District Judge Fred Biery issued a preliminary injunction barring implementation of the law, which was to take effect on September 1 and was challenged by families of diverse faiths with children in public schools.
The Texas state law, known as Senate Bill 10, is unconstitutional and “impermissibly takes sides on theological questions and officially favors Christian denominations over others,” Biery wrote in his 55-page ruling.
“The displays are likely to send an exclusionary and spiritually burdensome message to the child-Plaintiffs — who do not subscribe to the approved version of the Ten Commandments –that they ‘are outsiders who do not belong in their own school community,'” he said.
Rabbi Mara Nathan, one of the plaintiffs in the case, welcomed the ruling.
“Children’s religious beliefs should be instilled by parents and faith communities, not politicians and public schools,” Nathan said in a statement.
Rachel Laser, president of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, also welcomed the decision, saying it sends a “strong and resounding message across the country that the government respects the religious freedom of every student in our public schools.”
Another federal judge blocked a Louisiana law in November that would require the display of the Ten Commandments in every public school classroom in the conservative southern state.
District Judge John deGravelles said the law is unconstitutional and a violation of the First Amendment of the US Constitution.
The separation of church and state is a founding US principle and the First Amendment forbids the establishment of a national religion or the preference of one religion over another.
In a similar case in 1980, the US Supreme Court ruled that the display of the Ten Commandments in schools in Kentucky was unconstitutional.
In Oklahoma, the highest education official in the conservative state recently ordered public schools to teach the Bible, a move that is also facing legal challenges.
Thursday
Religion as a Weapon of Mass Mental Destruction in Nigeria
By Yahaya Balogun
In Nigeria, anyone who encounters the shocking viral images revealing the appalling treatment of vulnerable, innocent, unclothed toddlers—both boys and girls—allegedly from Port Harcourt, Nigeria, and remains unaffected or indifferent to the grim injustices inflicted by religion in this nation, Nigeria, has, in effect, become complicit in this horrific abuse and violation against children. Three distinct groups of religious followers define the Nigerian landscape:
1. The gullible, brainwashed, and misinformed believers (mostly impoverished people living in squalor; they can die or become suicide bombers for their ministers, marabouts, and clerics).
2. The knowingly ignorant and educated followers (such as PhD holders and rural and urban professors; their levels of academic achievement are dwarfed by religious foolishness).
3. Those who manipulate both groups for personal gain (specifically, politicians who use them as disposable tools for their own benefit).
These three groups represent some of the most dangerous players within Nigeria's religious sphere. They are the evils fueling and hindering Nigeria's growth and development.
It amazes me how African religious leaders have managed—whether intentionally or through negligence—to turn faith into a tool that suppresses research, reflection, and critical thinking in everyday life. The common belief is that religion is meant to guide human conduct in harmony with divine principles and righteousness.
Yet, from Nigeria in Africa to Rome in Europe and Afghanistan in the Middle East—excluding Asia and the Americas—we observe the corruption of religion to manipulate human thought. Religion often breeds fear among the vulnerable, intensifying perceived threats and weaknesses while obscuring the potential strengths and opportunities that belief can provide. Is it any wonder that more people are turning away from traditional faiths toward philosophies like practical stoicism and humanism that prioritize caring for humanity?
Modern Nigerian religions often secretly promote hatred, family conflicts, greed, and an unending pursuit of an immediate and insatiable quest for satisfaction. Nigeria's religions frequently sexualize women and children, exploiting impressionable minds.
It's disheartening to see many young people captivated by the sermons of their "Pastors" and "Alfas," where women are reduced to mere tools or objects to satisfy immoral desires. I've heard a "pastor" callously declare that a wife is her husband's property, implying she should submit to his every whim without question. Many women remain silent, accepting this degrading view from the pulpit—a perspective I find degrading, deeply offensive, and misogynistic. A wife can respect her husband as the head of the family without losing her dignity. Similarly, a husband can guide his wife without diminishing her worth. Genuine partnerships are built on love, support, and mutual respect, free from tyranny. These ministers and spiritual con artists have disrupted and destroyed countless lives, leaving relationships and families in disunity and chaos.
In today's spiritual scene, we face a disturbing environment where these religious charlatans and unscrupulous individuals exploit unsuspecting followers from their deceptive platforms. The so-called religious figures in Port Harcourt, Nigeria, must be exposed and brought to justice. Unless African nations, particularly Nigeria, take decisive and substantial steps to regulate religious practices and protect the vulnerable, society will continue to carry the heavy burden left by the remnants of brutal British neocolonialism and some religious fundamentalists often disguised as men of God across the African continent.
Wednesday
Tuesday
Your political influence waning,’ LP chieftain tells Peter Obi
By Chinagorom Ugwu
The Chairperson of the Labour Party (LP) in Lagos State, Dayo Ekong, has said the political influence of the 2023 presidential candidate of the LP, Peter Obi, has waned.
Mrs Ekong, in a post on her X handle on Tuesday, said it was time for Mr Obi to “pause and ponder” on his ambition to become Nigeria’s president in 2027.
‘Why Obi’s influence is waning’
During the 2023 general election, Mr Obi, a former governor of Anambra State, enjoyed overwhelming support from many Nigerians, especially from the South-east and South-south.
Although the LP candidate came third in the election, his party recorded surprising victories across states, a development attributed to the former governor’s political influence.
But Mrs Ekong said Mr Obi’s “recent actions” were eroding his hitherto political influence in Nigeria.
The LP chairperson argued that the leadership crisis in the LP and Mr Obi’s alleged opposition to the Julius Abure-led faction of the party were behind Mr Obi’s waning influence.
“Peter Obi’s influence in the Nigerian polity appears to be waning, as Nigerians grow increasingly tired and wary of what some perceive as inconsistent antics and political manoeuvring.
“His (Obi’s) interventions, once seen as principled, now risk being viewed as disruptive and self-serving, alienating allies and diminishing his appeal,” she said.
Mrs Ekong further argued that the evidence of Mr Obi’s waning influence lies in recent electoral outcomes in Nigeria where his endorsement of candidates failed to deliver victories.
She stressed that the recorded election failures despite Mr Obi’s endorsements signalled a loss of the “magnetic pull” he once commanded, citing elections in Edo, Imo and Anambra States in which candidates endorsed by Mr Obi failed to win.
“The most telling blow came recently in the Anambra State by-elections, particularly in Onitsha – Peter Obi’s backyard and supposed stronghold.
“Here, we witnessed his sudden switch of allegiance, embodying the ‘Labour today, ADC tomorrow’ shenanigans that have confused supporters and diluted party loyalty,” she said.
Mrs Ekong recalled that before the Onitsha North 1 State Constituency rerun, Mr Obi “abandoned” the LP candidate in the election and endorsed Justina Azuka of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), even donning an ADC-branded cap during campaigns.
She said despite Mr Obi’s support, the ADC candidate failed to win, with the LP candidate performing even worse, while the APGA candidate won the exercise without the former governor’s backing.
“These patterns are not isolated; they point to a broader trend of waning influence. Public sentiment, as reflected in recent discussions, suggests that Nigerians are fatigued by Obi’s frequent shifts and perceived acrimony toward the Labour Party structures that once elevated him.
“A wise politician like Peter Obi, known for his prudence and vision, has suddenly lost so much appeal – even in his backyard,” she said.
“The threads of his political legacy are unravelling slowly but surely, undone by decisions that prioritise personal alliances over party cohesion.”
Mrs Ekong advised Mr Obi to step back and engage in meditation to find out more reasons for his waning political influence in Nigeria.
She said the former governor should find out why parties he aligned with in Anambra, like ADC, “faltered so badly,” while APGA triumphed without him.
The chairperson suggested that Mr Obi’s ongoing acrimony against the Labour Party’s leadership could be hindering his support from Nigerians.
“Peter Obi has surrounded himself with those who he feels have his best interest at heart, but time will surely tell.
“We all openly admonished (Nyesom) Wike for his PDP/APC antics but turned a blind eye to Peter Obi’s LP/ADC antics. The electorate is watching all these and slowly making up their minds against 2027,” she added
The LP has been battling an intense leadership crisis for a while now which has split the party into two factions.
While the disputed National Chairperson of the party, Mr Abure, leads one of the factions, Peter Obi and Mr Otti, belong to another faction of the LP.
The LP’s National Executive Committee had sacked the Abure-led executive in September last year and appointed Ms Usman, a former minister of finance and ex-senator representing Kaduna South, to lead a 29-member caretaker committee and facilitate the election of a new party leadership within 90 days.
But weeks later, the Court of Appeal in Abuja recognised Mr Abure as the national chairperson of the LP.
However, the Supreme Court, on Friday, 4 April, set aside the judgement of the lower court.
A five-member panel of the Supreme Court unanimously held that the Court of Appeal lacked jurisdiction to have affirmed Mr Abure as chairperson of the LP since the substance of the case was about the party’s leadership.
It held that the issue of leadership was an internal affair of a party over which courts lacked jurisdiction.
The court upheld the appeal filed against the judgement by Mrs Usman.
The Supreme Court held that Ms Usman’s appeal was meritorious, as it also dismissed the cross-appeal filed by the Mr Abure-led faction of the LP for lacking merit.
But the Abure-led faction of the LP argued the Supreme Court did not sack Mr Abure and other executives of the party.
The National Publicity Secretary of the LP, Obiora Ifoh, claimed that the Supreme Court’s position was that the matter was purely an internal affair of the party, insisting that the court did not set aside the Court of Appeal judgement of 13 November 2024, which affirmed Mr Abure as the national chairperson of the party.
Meanwhile, in the heat of the leadership crisis in the LP, Mr Obi and other politicians from various political parties in the country formed the National Opposition Coalition Group to unseat President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 elections.
The group, in July, adopted ADC as its platform for the 2027 general election.
Mr Obi later argued that his joining the opposition coalition under the ADC platform does not amount to anti-party activity because the coalition was for the 2027 election which had not come yet.
Premium Times
Monday
THE RUEFUL FATE OF THE PDP!
By Yahaya Balogun
“Ohun tí a bá fi ara ?í?e fún, ní m´p?´ l?´w?´ ?ni." - Yoruba Proverb.
Translation:
"Wealth that is earned through hard work lasts longer and comes with blessings" - Yoruba Proverbs.
A structure built on false foundations is bound to collapse quickly. The People's Democratic Party (PDP) was born from a lineage of military rulers. These rulers operated under oppressive regimes, systematically dismantling the very best of Nigeria and forcing those who survived into self-imposed exile for greener pastures.
A thoughtful observer recognizes that the PDP was always fated to fall victim to the storm of retribution and missteps. General Olusegun Obasanjo and his corrupt military generals co-piloted and ravaged the country through their ineffective military control of the government. When a façade of democracy emerged under General Olusegun Obasanjo, after he escaped Abacha's gulag, Nigerians breathed a sigh of relief from those mourning the loss of the legitimate 1993 presidential election of the late Chief MKO Abiola. Unfortunately, President Obasanjo squandered the chance to reshape Nigeria for the better.
Meanwhile, President Olusegun Obasanjo manipulated the political landscape, disregarded the Nigerian constitution, and ruled with impunity, resembling an unrestrained ex-convict determined to extend his ill-gotten power and antisocial relationship with the Nigerian public. Who remembers the Odi village massacre in Bayelsa State? The Odi massacre under President Olusegun Obasanjo was an attack carried out on November 20, 1999, by the Nigerian Armed Forces against the predominantly Ijaw town of Odi in Bayelsa State. Who remembers President Olusegun Obasanjo's third-term agenda, foiled by Sahara Reporters?
The current political struggles and fragmentation experienced by the PDP are not mere coincidences; they are the inevitable fallout from their reckless conduct regarding the Nigerian populace. The coalition of liars and their serial political contestants, who recently crossed to the orphanage party, will soon disintegrate through a power struggle.
The PDP, along with any coalition of self-serving interests that overlook the dreams and labor of the Nigerian people, will ultimately face the harsh consequences of their actions. The careless individuals responsible for Nigeria's stagnation are headed for a historical reckoning. A power struggle is brewing within the PDP ranks. Will the stakeholders of the PDP in this tumultuous time be rewarded by history? Yes! The reckoning days are here for the PDP as the party, with delusion, is giddy for political extinction.
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