Law veteran and a senior advocate of Nigeria, Edwin Clarke has carpeted comments attributed to former president Olusegun Obasanjo claiming both the youth and leaders of Nigeria have failed the country.

Clarke said Obasanjo “needs to reflect back to Nigerian leadership before 1954 to 1960 to 1966.”, mentioning Obafemi Awolowo, Bode Thomas, Nnamdi Azikiwe and Tafawa Balewa as leaders who led the country between the ages of 48 to 52.

He further noted that “at every time of political development in Nigeria, there were young men who were doing this”.

He observed that the achievements of Obasanjo as a Head of State are more profound when he was 38 to 42 than when he returned as a civilian president.

The lawyer also noted that “Nigeria has always had a leadership of youths”.

Clarke however wondered why Obasanjo would accuse the youths of failing the country.

“If you say the youths have failed, that means Gowon has failed, Murtala Mohammed has failed, it means he himself, who took over power from Murtala at the age of 38 or 39 has also failed”.

Clarke praised the former premier of western Nigeria, Obafemi Awolowo for developing the region adding that no governor can replicate the impact made by the late politician.

He berated the fact that governance in Nigeria has changed while wondering why governors in Nigeria cannot match the achievements of former governors like Otedola and Jakande, who have estates named after them.