FORMER President Olusegun Obasanjo has denied reports that he deliberately arrived late at the birthday celebration of former President Shehu Shagari, after the departure of President Goodluck Jonathan and other past leaders.
President Shagari’s 90th birthday was marked on Wednesday with President Jonathan and all former Nigerian leaders, except Major-General Muhammadu Buhari, who was in the United Kingdom in attendance.
Obasanjo arrived only after Jonathan and the former leaders had left after the cutting of the birthday cake.
But the former president denied snubbing the president and other past leaders, saying he had no cause to backtrack on what they all agreed to do together in Shagari’s honour.
Obasanjo said it was “unfortunate” he arrived former President Shagari’s home late, and blamed a traffic gridlock in Lagos for the delay.
“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,” Obasanjo said in a statement on Friday.
“Leaving Abeokuta at 6:45 a.m. and hoping to fly out of Lagos airport at 8:30 a.m. to Sokoto, we ran into a very bad traffic hold-up that made me get to Lagos airport at 10:45 a.m.
“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 added.
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