Oba saga: Obasanjo Talks Tough
Former President, Olusegun Obasanjo has disowned Taiwo Obasanjo who claimed to be his wife, and apologized on his behalf for debasing traditional rulers.
Taiwo Obasanjo had told traditional rulers to forgive her husband for ordering them to stand up and sit down like schoolchildren at a function in Oyo State.
In a statement titled: “Oyo Kings: A plea for forgiveness”, Mrs. Obasanjo begged, “for permanent and eternal forgiveness and pardon from all Yoruba sons and daughters worldwide, fathers and mothers, youths, teenagers and children, Christians, Muslims, traditional worshippers, all leaders in Yoruba land and the Council of Kings in Yoruba land.”
But the former president on Monday said he had been drawn to a statement purported to be issued by his wife with the photograph of one Ms. Taiwo Martins as the author of the statement.
“For the records, Ms. Martins has two children, Jonwo and Bunmi, for Chief Obasanjo but to say emphatically that she is not his wife nor a member of the Obasanjo family.
“Her posturing as Chief Obasanjo’s wife is false and that of an impostor. Nobody makes statement on behalf of the Obasanjo family except Chief Obasanjo or people delegated by him to do so,” said Kehinde Akinyemi, Special Assistant on Media to the former president.
Akinyemi said it must be noted that the state of health of Ms. Martins is known to all and sundry and that whatever she said or did has nothing to do with Obasanjo as an individual or the Obasanjo family as a whole.
“However, the former President has affirmed that he stood firmly, unapologetically and uncompromisingly on the position that the Governor of a State holds the highest office in the State.
“By that position, the respect, protocol and dignity that must be given to the office by virtue of the Constitution must not be denied. To do otherwise is to deride the office and the Constitution,” Akinyemi said.
