The fiery response comes after Obasanjo criticised Tinubu’s recent declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State, which resulted in the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara from office alongside members of the Rivers State House of Assembly.

The presidency has launched a scathing attack on former President Olusegun Obasanjo, branding him the “grandfather of hypocrisy” for his criticism of President Bola Tinubu’s emergency rule in Rivers State. 

In a statement issued on Thursday by Dada Olusegun, Special Assistant to the President on Social Media, the presidency accused Obasanjo of attempting to rewrite history and whitewash his own controversial democratic record while condemning Tinubu’s actions. 

“It is shocking to many who were adults during the Obasanjo 1999-2007 era to hear OBJ preaching that ‘democracy is not about power grabbing illegally and telling victims to go to court. This is the same OBJ that turned himself into a kingmaker and a demigod in his second term in office,” the statement read.

The fiery response comes after Obasanjo criticised Tinubu’s recent declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State, which resulted in the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara from office alongside members of the Rivers State House of Assembly.

The move has sparked outrage and debate over the legality of Tinubu’s intervention in the state’s internal political crisis. 

Tinubu’s government declared a state of emergency in Rivers State following months of political unrest between Governor Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, who is now the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). The crisis escalated after Wike-backed lawmakers attempted to impeach Fubara, leading to violent clashes and the controversial demolition of the state assembly complex. 

The emergency rule effectively sidelined Fubara and placed Rivers under federal control, drawing comparisons to past instances of presidential overreach in Nigeria’s democratic history. However, the presidency argued that Tinubu’s actions were justified, accusing Obasanjo of hypocrisy for criticizing them. 

The presidency’s statement extensively detailed instances of Obasanjo’s alleged anti-democratic actions while in office, arguing that he had done far worse than Tinubu. 

“This is the same OBJ who worked with his then VP, Atiku Abubakar, to steal opposition states for PDP thanks to their job man, Prof. Maurice Iwu, who was INEC Chairman,” the statement said. 

The presidency accused Obasanjo of rigging elections, orchestrating the impeachment of opposition governors, and attempting to extend his tenure through a failed third-term bid. 

“OBJ unilaterally declared the seat of his then Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, vacant over his corruption indictment by a panel of inquiry,” it continued. “Atiku, who has now become a serial presidential candidate, slept in the courts towards the 2007 general election season.”

In a direct rebuttal to Obasanjo’s criticism of Tinubu’s Rivers intervention, the presidency pointed out that the former president himself declared emergency rule in Plateau and Ekiti states during his tenure. 

“In May 2004, Obasanjo declared a state of emergency in Plateau State and suspended both Gov. Joshua Dariye and the state assembly, appointing Gen. Chris Ali (Rtd) as Sole Administrator,” the statement noted. 

“He also did the same in Ekiti State. His reason for suspending Dariye and the Plateau legislature was because the governor failed to end a cycle of violence. He didn’t accuse the assembly of anything, yet he suspended them. Now, he is criticising Tinubu for suspending Gov. Fubara and the Rivers House of Assembly members who are the direct actors in the crisis.”

Obasanjo positions himself as a statesman advocating for democratic integrity but the presidency insists that he has no moral right to critique Tinubu’s handling of Rivers State. 

“Obasanjo is simply the grandfather of hypocrisy in Nigeria at the moment,” the presidency concluded.  

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