Former President Olusegun Obasanjo made headlines over the weekend when he appeared in a Tinubu-themed agbada at a public event, sparking speculation.
In a rare public appearance, Obasanjo wore a full Tinubu insignia agbada made of Adire fabric, immediately drawing attention on social media and among political observers.
Obasanjo and Tinubu are historically known political adversaries, dating back to Obasanjo’s presidency and Tinubu’s tenure as Lagos State governor.
In the run-up to the 2023 presidential election, Tinubu had consulted Obasanjo at his Abeokuta residence regarding his presidential ambition.
Despite the meeting, Obasanjo declined to support Tinubu, opting instead to back Labour Party candidate Peter Obi, who ultimately placed third.
Since Tinubu’s emergence as president, the two leaders have met publicly only a few times, including twice outside Nigeria.
Obasanjo has also been openly critical of Tinubu’s administration.
In his book Nigeria: Past and Future, launched alongside another publication for his 88th birthday in March 2025, Obasanjo criticised Tinubu’s government, claiming it “competes with the late President Buhari’s administration in inefficiency.”
In a November 2024 keynote at the Chinua Achebe Leadership Forum at Yale University, he described Tinubu as “Baba-go-slow and Emilokan” while lamenting Nigeria’s deteriorating condition under his leadership.
Rare encounters and mutual respect
Saturday’s event in Ogun State marked roughly the fourth meeting between the two leaders since the 2023 elections.
Prior meetings include Tinubu greeting Obasanjo at the inauguration of Imo State Governor Hope Uzodinma in Owerri (January 2024), at the swearing-in of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa in Pretoria (June 2024), and during Ghana President John Mahama’s inauguration in Accra (January 2025).
Video footage from the airport shows Tinubu bowing to Obasanjo and former Ogun State Governor Olusegun Osoba as they joined local leaders to welcome him.
In his address, Tinubu praised Obasanjo for his “commitment to good governance,” while Obasanjo thanked the president for honouring the invitation.
“When the governor gave me your time of arrival, it was free for me. But then he said, ‘You will make a speech.’ I asked, ‘In what capacity?’ He replied, ‘as a citizen of Ogun State.’ I could not dispute that,” Obasanjo said, welcoming Tinubu.
Speculation trails Obasanjo’s attire
Obasanjo’s choice of attire fueled speculation about a potential political strategy. Many observers suggested it could be a soft signal aimed at mending fences with Tinubu.
Meanwhile Obasanjo’s daughter, Senator Iyabo Obasanjo recently declared her governorship ambition in Ogun State under the ruling APC.
Campaign posters for other major aspirants, including Senators Solomon Olamilekan Adeola (Yayi) and Hon. Gboyega Nasir Isiaka (GNI), were prominently displayed across Iperu, Ilishan, and the airport area during Tinubu’s visit.
Iyabo Obasanjo, a former senator and ex-commissioner for health in Ogun State, returned to active politics after 15 years, joining the APC and participating in the party’s e-registration exercise.
She lost her re-election bid in 2011 but rose to the rank of professor in the United States before her return. She has described her governorship bid as an effort to “fill a governance gap” in Ogun State.
Analysts note that while Iyabo enjoys grassroots support, a prominent family name, and political experience, her father’s historical opposition to Tinubu may pose a challenge to securing the APC ticket. “My father is both an advantage and a disadvantage,” Iyabo recently said on Fresh F Abeokuta.
Obasanjo’s media aide, Kehinde Akinyemi, declined to comment on the significance of the attire. However, a source close to the former president told Daily Trust that the Tinubu-themed agbada was “a kind of conspiracy” orchestrated at the airport.
“You should know Baba by now. He is always several steps ahead. The agbada you saw was not what he wore when leaving home. The governor handed it to him upon arrival—it appears conspiratorial. But as an elder statesman, what could he do? Reject it? He knows what he did,” the source said.