Did Obasanjo Ask Nigerians to Reject Tinubu's Second Term Bid As Viral Video Claimed? Fact Emerges
- A Facebook page, Naija Boss, claimed former President Obasanjo urged Nigerians to reject President Tinubu over excessive borrowing
- The post gathered over 2,000 likes and 522 shares as of November 9, 2026, sparking mixed reactions from Nigerians online
- Legit.ng traced what ex-President Obasanjo actually said at a public event in Abeokuta on Friday, October 30, 2026
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Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has more than five years of experience in fact-checking, investigative journalism, and public-interest reporting, with a strong track record of producing impactful, evidence-based stories that promote transparency and accountability.
Abeokuta, Ogun State - A Facebook post claiming that former President Olusegun Obasanjo called on Nigerians to reject President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's second-term ambition over his administration's borrowing plans has been probed.
The post (archived link here), shared by a Facebook page, Naija Boss, has gathered over 2,000 likes, 112 comments, and 620 shares as of Tuesday night, November 10, 2026.
Source: Twitter
The claim circulated amid renewed public attention to a supplementary external borrowing plan of $20.52 billion and €1.04 billion that Tinubu sent to the National Assembly in October 2026.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio read the request in plenary; it covered infrastructure, agriculture, healthcare, education, water supply, security, employment generation, and financial management reforms.
The claim was also shared here and here.
What Obasanjo actually said
Legit.ng traced Obasanjo's remarks to October 30, 2026, when he spoke at the Ajibosin Platform in Abeokuta, Ogun State.
The elder statesman's comments were a direct response to Tinubu's earlier assertion that "borrowing is not leprosy." OBJ, as Obasanjo is fondly called, pushed back sharply, calling that position "absolute nonsense."
"And for anybody to say debt is no leprosy is absolute nonsense. Debt is worse than leprosy because leprosy destroys only one person. Debt destroys generations," Obasanjo said.
The remarks were reported by credible media organisations, including The Guardian, The Punch, and This Day. In none of those reports did Obasanjo ask Nigerians to reject Tinubu, vote against the president, or oppose his second-term bid. His criticism was directed squarely at the government's approach to borrowing, not at Tinubu's political future.
Legit.ng found no credible evidence supporting the claim that the former president made any such call.
Reactions to viral post on Tinubu
The Facebook post drew mixed responses.
A commenter, Asemota Emmanuel, wrote:
"Nigeria just need good and responsible leaders."
Bashir Babatunde Jimba predicted:
"Nigerians will not reject Tinubu, but Nigerians will reject Obasanjo surrogate presidential candidate."
Surajo Bello, however, sided with what the post claimed, saying:
"We are with the former president Obasanjo for the excessive borrowing because such action would indebted the future of the country (sic) if at all one has the country at heart."
Watch the Facebook video featuring Obasanjo's alleged remarks about Tinubu below:
Obasanjo's actual message on Tinubu
The claim is misleading. While Obasanjo did criticise Tinubu's borrowing philosophy and warned that excessive debt could "destroy generations," he did not call on Nigerians to reject the president or his second-term ambition.
The viral post misrepresents what the former Nigerian leader said.
Read more on Obasanjo:
- "We have rubbished the value of integrity": Obasanjo
- Yoruba Nation: “Why I’m better as a Nigerian than in Oodua Republic,” Obasanjo explains
- Why I envy 90-year-old Yakubu Gowon, Obasanjo explains
Obasanjo reacts to claim his father is Igbo
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Obasanjo clarified the claim of his alleged Igbo paternity, declaring that such an insinuation makes him laugh.
Obasanjo added that irrespective of the cultural differences, “we own this country together.”
Source: Legit.ng
