Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has said the Nigerian nation “needs more rebels” to speak the truth to power without minding whose ox is gored.

This, according to Obasanjo, is one of the greatest steps towards rebuilding the nation.

Obasanjo spoke on Saturday during the unveiling of the autobiography of the Babanla Adinni of Egbaland, Chief Tayo Sowunmi, in Abeokuta, ‘Footprints Of A Rebel’, to commemorate his 80th birthday.

Speaking at the event, Obasanjo noted that for Nigeria to move forward, it requires those he called “rebels” who would stand and speak the truth without fear or favour.

The Balogun Owu maintained that whoever wants to live a life of honesty and integrity must be a rebel.

His words: “Looking at the title of the book, I ask myself, why would someone call himself a rebel. But it is good.

“But the truth is that if you have to leave a life of honesty and integrity, you have to become a rebel. There would be some time you would be asked to do something, but you would say no, this is not right. And when you say that, you will become a rebel. You may even become a persona non grata.

“This is our country, there is no country that we can call our own except Nigeria. Our country, Nigeria, needs more of rebels. Those who would look at things straight in the face and say this is not right; this, I will not be part of; this is not good for Nigeria.”