Former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Saturday declared that many aspirants parading themselves for one political office or the other ahead of the 2023 general elections should be in jail.

Obasanjo also predicted that Nigeria might soon collapse into different countries if its citizens failed to unite.

The ex-President spoke at the international symposium organised to mark his 85th birthday at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.

He lamented that several politicians aspiring for political positions and their supporters should have been arrested, tried and jailed for corrupt practices if the anti-graft agencies had done their jobs diligently with the support of the judiciary.

The symposium was attended physically and virtually by eminent personalities, including President Paul Kagame (Rwanda); former President Nicéphore Soglo of Benin Republic; Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala; Prof Goski Alabi (Ghana); Ambassador Barry Desker (Singapore); Prof Juma Shabani (Burundi); Dr Mary Khimulu (Kenya); Dr Moussa Kondo (Mali); Prof Sarah Agbor (Cameroon); Anambra State Governor-Elect, Prof Charles Soludo, and a former Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi, among others.

Obasanjo, who spoke on the theme, ‘Africa Narrative with Nigeria Situation’, advised Nigerians to learn from the events of the past and put aside sentiments in choosing the next president of the country.

He said, “I cast a cursory look at some of the people running around and those for whom people are running around. If the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission had done their jobs properly and supported adequately by the judiciary, most of them would be in jail.

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“Any person who has no integrity in small things cannot have integrity in big things. Fixing Nigeria must begin on the principles of nation-building, not necessarily on emotion, sentiment, euphoria, ignorance, incompetence, ethnicity, nepotism, bigotry, sectionalism, regionalism, religion or class.

“The issues of security, stability, development, economy and our relationship within Africa and with the rest of the world can only be taken care of if we get the issue of nation-building right.

“We have a lot to learn from the events of the last almost 24 years and God is not to blame if we fail.

“It would appear that we are not getting our priorities right and that can spell doom for our country if we fail to do what we should do for nation-building in terms of fundamentals of equity, justice, common ideals, popular education, shared values, mutual respect and equality of opportunities anchored and propelled by leaders across the board that are persons of integrity, honour, morality, competence, great virtue, courage to do what is right, humility and ability to put a team together and work with them in selfless devotion and service with the fear of God.”

Obasanjo, who warned against the collapse of Nigeria into different countries, also called on Nigerians to speak with one voice and vote for a candidate that would bring development to the country.

The former President maintained that Nigeria would continue to face insecurity, economy and other challenges until Nigerians agree to speak with one voice.

Obasanjo however complained about alleged manipulation of election results in the country, warning that if the situation persists, Nigeria might go into extinction.