by Ranti Joseph
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Saturday 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.
Following the development, there were media reports that Obasanjo had deliberately stayed away to avoid a confrontation with Jonathan.
But Obasanjo in a statement 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.
“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,” he said.
Obasanjo noted that he had no cause to dodge, avoid or snub his colleagues over what they all agreed to do together.
