Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has said that any government that cannot protect the lives and property of its citizens does not have the right to exist.

In an interview with News Central, Obasanjo said: “Let me tell you, the government that cannot give security of life and property of its citizens has no right of existence.

“The elected members of our National Assembly have no right to fix their own salary and their own emoluments.

“It’s not in our constitution for them to do that. It’s the revenue mobilisation and allocation commission that should do it.”

Obasanjo also warned that Nigeria’s estimated 20 million out-of-school children represent a looming security emergency.

He described them as a vulnerable population that could be exploited by extremist groups if left unaddressed.

Aside from domestic insecurity, the former president raised concerns over “Nigeria’s declining relevance in international affairs”.

He said the country no longer exerts meaningful influence in regional or global decision-making.

“Today, Nigeria is not at the table,” he said, blaming weak leadership for the erosion of the country’s diplomatic standing.