Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has said that the controversy surrounding the introduction of Sharia law in some parts of Nigeria was driven more by politics than religion.
Speaking in an interview, Obasanjo recalled debates that took place during the Constituent Assembly when Sharia law became a major national issue, saying the discussions were intense at the time he served as military head of state.
He explained that he once engaged a Northern elite to better understand the push behind the proposal.
“I was military head of state and Sharia became an issue in the Constituent Assembly. And I called somebody, one of the Northern elites, I said look, you people, Sharia Court of Appeal — you won’t go there. You don’t take any of your issues there,” he said.
According to him, the response he received suggested that the matter was politically motivated.
“He said yes but why are you doing this? He said politics… Politics, so what suits people politically?” he recalled.
Obasanjo added that his leadership philosophy has always been shaped by observing actions rather than statements.
“So I don’t go by what people say or what they mean. I go by what they do,” he stated.
