Why I Avoided Jonathan and Others In Sokoto - Obasanjo

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has clarified that his failure to meet with President Goodluck Jonathan and other former presidents and heads of state during the 90th birthday celebration of former President Shehu Shagari in Sokoto, on Thursday, has nothing to do with his perceived differences with Jonathan.

Recall that all former heads of state, including Gen. Yakubu Gowon, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, Gen. Abdulsalam Abubakar, former head of the Interim National Government, Chief Ernest Shonekan and President Goodluck Jonathan witnessed Shagari’s 90th birthday celebration where a commemorative cake marking the birthday was cut.

Obasanjo who was also supposed to grace the event however arrived the venue minutes after the others had left.

Following the development, there were media reports (not ATSblog), that Obasanjo had deliberated stayed away to avoid a confrontation with Jonathan. The meeting would have been their first since Obasanjo formally declared that he had left the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and ordered and monitored the tearing of his membership card in the presence of local party executive and supporters.

But Obasanjo in a statement yesterday, said contrary to reports that he deliberately shunned Jonathan, he was delayed by a traffic gridlock he ran into on his way to the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos, from Abeokuta, enroute Sokoto, having left Abeokuta at about 6:45am in order to catch up with his colleagues in Sokoto.

While describing the reports as unfortunate, he said, “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 Thursday 25 February.

“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 his colleagues over what they all agreed to do together. (Leadership)