In a dramatic and fiery exchange of words, Taiwo Martins, the estranged wife of former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, has launched scathing accusations against the ex-president, labelling him as “Nigeria’s real problem” and “the greatest impostor of all time.”

These provocative remarks come in the wake of Martin’s public plea for forgiveness on behalf of Obasanjo, which led to her disowning by the former president.

Martins had taken to the public arena to request forgiveness for Obasanjo’s critical comments about traditional rulers in Iseyin, Oyo State. However, her actions were met with disclaimers from the ex-president, who categorically denied her status as his wife or a member of the Obasanjo family, despite the fact that they share two children.

Obasanjo’s media aide, Kehinde Akinyemi, released a statement clarifying that Taiwo Martins does not have the authority to speak on behalf of the Obasanjo family, emphasising that only Chief Obasanjo or those officially delegated by him have that privilege.

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In response to this disclaimer, Martins launched into a lengthy attack against Obasanjo, accusing him of arrogance and an unshakable belief in his power. She contended that Obasanjo arrogantly assumed an unchallengeable position and acted as if he held the power of life and death over others. Martins also criticised his rigid and unwavering stance on issues.

She further alleged that Obasanjo had a history of ruthlessly destroying anyone who disagreed with him or dared to point out his errors.

She said, “Chief Olusegun Obasanjo is the greatest impostor of all time, the liar, the deceiver who now equates himself to the Almighty God and who now arrogantly believes that he has the unchallengeable power of life and death…”

She asserted that Obasanjo had consistently fought and criticised every Nigerian president who succeeded him, casting doubt on his ability to mentor, support, and guide his successors for the good of the nation.

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Martins did not stop there; she accused Obasanjo of equating himself to the Almighty God and behaving arrogantly. She argued that his actions and public utterances provided ample evidence of his mental instability.

She also recounted her personal experiences, stating that she chose to leave Obasanjo’s company to preserve her sanity.

She added, “Once Daddy Obasanjo sees you as his perceived enemy who will not dance to his tune 100%, he will go all out to destroy you. He would do all within his highly toxic evil network to destroy whoever offers a word of respectful caution to him.”

“He wants to be the only great man standing in Nigeria and Africa. The road to Ota and Abeokuta was the worst during his reign as president, and his house is in Ota. He saved money that should have been deployed to turning Nigeria into Dubai for inflation to catch up with us.”

In her statement, Martins took the opportunity to call on Nigerians to rally behind President Tinubu, applauding his leadership qualities. She criticised Obasanjo for his divisive actions and urged him to cease his “rantings” and “barking.”

The ongoing public feud between Ms. Martins and the former president underscores the deep-seated tensions and political divides within Nigerian politics. Obasanjo’s legacy and his role in shaping Nigerian governance have been a subject of intense debate and controversy, and this public spat serves to highlight the discord surrounding his legacy.

Martin said, “All our former presidents, General Babangida, General Abdulsalami, General Yakubu Gowon, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, etc., do not fight their children or wives nor ridicule people here and there in our nation. All our former presidents in Nigeria comport themselves with dignity…”

She noted, “I am using this medium also to plead with Nigerians to help President Tinubu to succeed so that Nigeria can be turned into another beautiful Kigali in Rwanda.”