Obasanjo Reacts To Reports He Shunned Shagari’s Birthday

Former President, Olusegun Obasanjo has expressed dismay over reports from a section of the media in the country concerning claims he was absent at the 90th birthday celebration of former civilian President, Shehu Shagari in Sokoto, Sokoto state, last week.

All the former Heads of State, including, Gen. Yakubu Gowon, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, Gen. Abdulsalam Abubakar, Head of Interim National Government, Chief Ernest Shonekan and President Goodluck Jonathan were at the celebration, where a commemorative cake marking the 90th birthday was cut.

Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, also a former Head of State, was absent as a result of his engagement outside the country.

Reacting to claims of his absence in a release in Abeokuta, yesterday, Obasanjo lamented the perceived imputation made in some of the reports in some national dailies, describing it as unfortunate.

According to Obasanjo, “I have read with dismay the imputation of some section of the media to the unfortunate incident of my not being able to be with my colleagues at the birthday celebration of President Shehu Shagari on Monday 25 February.”

The former President explained that a heavy traffic, which his entourage ran into on the fateful day, caused the delay, having left Abeokuta at about 6.45pm in order to catch up with his colleagues in Sokoto.

“Leaving Abeokuta at 6:45am and hoping to fly out of Lagos airport at 8:30am, to Sokoto, we ran into a very bad traffic hold-up that made me get to Lagos airport at 10:45am.

“I did not arrive at Shagari’s house until about mid-day by which time the team of my colleagues had left. It is a pity that the media did not report my profuse apologies to both Shagari and other colleagues when I spoke at Shagari’s house.”

Obasanjo noted that, he had “no cause to dodge, avoid or snub my colleagues for what we all agreed to do together,” the release stated.