FORMER President Olusegun Obasanjo has described failure in leadership as a sin against God and the people leaders are entrusted to serve, warning that those who accept positions of responsibility must be prepared to discharge their duties properly.
News Point Nigeria reports that Obasanjo spoke on Saturday in Abeokuta, Ogun State, while delivering the keynote address at the Leadership Empowerment International Conference (LEIC) Nigeria 2026.
The conference, organised by the Perspectives Leadership Development Institute in collaboration with the Olusegun Obasanjo Leadership Institute, was held under the theme, “The Gravity of Leadership Failure & Correction Methodologies.”
Obasanjo said leadership remained the most important factor determining the success or failure of any human organisation, whether a family, business, state or nation.
“If anybody asks me what is the most important factor, what is the most important issue, what is the most important element that makes the difference between success and failure in any human organisation, the answer is leadership,” he said.
According to the former president, two institutions or organisations may have similar resources and structures but record entirely different results because of differences in leadership.
“You will find two institutions or two organisations that are very similar and one is doing well, the other is not doing too well. The difference is in leadership,” he said.
Obasanjo said leadership failure could have serious consequences for any institution, stressing that its effects were not limited to governments alone.
“A nation, leadership failure will mean that the nation is not making progress as it should. A family, the leadership failure in the family means that the family is not making progress as it should. Any human institution, any human organisation, leadership failure means great calamity,” he said.
He urged leaders to acknowledge their mistakes, apologise where necessary, show remorse and take concrete steps to correct their failures.
“As long as you are active as a leader, you are likely to do things wrong. But what is very, very important is to make sure that when you do wrong, you appreciate that you have done wrong. And then you atone and make corrections,” Obasanjo said.
He added, “When we make mistakes as leaders or as even human beings, the first thing we have to do is acknowledge that we have made mistakes and have gone wrong. And then go back to make corrections.”
The former president said leaders who had disappointed the people through their actions should not simply ignore their failures.
“Where you fail, it means that you have disappointed human beings and you have also disappointed God. Where you fail, you have disappointed human beings and you have also disappointed God,” he said.
Obasanjo warned that leaders should not accept positions of responsibility if they were unwilling or unable to fulfil the obligations attached to such offices.
“If you cannot carry out the responsibility of leadership, then don’t accept. If you accept, then do it as it should be done,” he said.
He also rejected attempts by leaders to justify poor performance by blaming longstanding problems and the failures of the past.
“If I say that, yes, since I was born, Nigeria has been poor. If I am put in a position not to make Nigeria poor and all I can say is that since I was born, Nigeria has been poor, I wonder what I am saying to Nigerians,” he said.
The former president stressed that leadership was a responsibility imposed by both God and the people and that failure to discharge such responsibility properly had consequences.
“If you are a leader, you are put here by God and by people to do what is right. And your failure to do what is right is a sin against God and against the people that we are supposed to be looking after,” Obasanjo said.
He further warned leaders against assuming they could escape the consequences of their failures.
“Don’t think that you will do it and get away. If you fail where you should not fail and you do not make adjustment or action, you will pay for it,” he said.
In his remarks, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate for the 2027 election in Ogun State, Ladi Adebutu, called for collective and principled leadership as a foundation for building a greater Nigeria.
Adebutu, who was presented with a doctoral award as part of the institute’s recognition of his outstanding contributions and achievements to society, said nation-building, like constructing a mountain, requires consistent efforts and contributions from individuals working together toward a common goal.
According to him, leaders must come together to form a strong bond capable of preserving the nation and contributing to the advancement of humanity.
He said leadership could only thrive when anchored on clearly defined ideologies and principles.
The PDP candidate said a good leader must believe in something and remain committed to those beliefs, stressing that leaders should not be inconsistent in their principles or positions.
He identified transparency, honour and self-awareness as essential qualities for effective leadership.
Adebutu also referenced the Rotary Club’s ethical principle of asking, “How would I feel if this act were committed upon me?”
He said such a mindset encourages leaders to examine their actions and decisions before imposing them on others, describing it as an important attribute of responsible leadership.
Adebutu further urged Nigerians to build a nation founded on strong values, saying faith and belief in God could serve as moral guides towards a better future.
He maintained that good leadership must be supported by sound ideology and a firm foundation of values.
The PDP governorship candidate expressed hope that participants at the conference would leave with renewed commitment to improving their lifestyles and contributing to the betterment of humanity.
He also thanked the organisers and participants for their engagement with the leadership discussion.
In his welcome address, the President of the Perspectives Leadership Development Institute (PLDI), Prof. Olusesi Obateye, said the conference was designed to bring together political leaders, academics, business executives, professionals, traditional stakeholders and other critical actors to examine the challenges of leadership failure and explore practical approaches to building effective and responsible leadership.
He added that LEIC Nigeria 2026 remained “a platform for meaningful dialogue, knowledge exchange and leadership development, with particular emphasis on identifying the root causes of leadership failures and developing sustainable methodologies for correction.”