Obasanjo Denies Endorsing Tinubu, Accuses His Camp of Falsehood

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has warned some supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, over unauthorised statements following the former Lagos State Governor’s visit to Abeokuta.

Tinubu and a few APC chieftains had visited Obasanjo at his residence in Abeokuta, Ogun Stae capital, on Wednesday to discuss issues around the 2023 presidential election.

Both Obasanjo and Tinubu refused to address the media after the meeting.

However, few hours after the meeting, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, said Obasanjo made encouraging statements about Tinubu’s aspiration and even prayed for the APC presidential candidate.

His words: “while we were going to Obasanjo’s house, we were eight, which include Asiwaju Tinubu and me; we didn’t want many people to know about the meeting. So, we were to meet Obasanjo and five others from his side.

“However, while we arrived there, we met something pleasantly surprising: a large crowd of our supporters had been already at the former president’s residence waiting for us.

“So, Obasanjo instructed Asiwaju Tinubu to choose 3 people from his aspect and that he select 3 from his side to meet behind closed doors. So, I, Chief Osoba and Chief Akande and Asiwaju went from our side. My people, with what I heard there, what Obasanjo said, the victory of Asiwaju is assured.

“Obasanjo spoke at length and we were all satisfied. He embraced our candidate like a brother, gave him a pat at the back, and prayed for him copiously.”

However, Obasanjo, in a statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Kehinde Akinyemi on Saturday, said the statements coming from the ones claiming to be supporters of Tinubu are “unhelpful.”

The former President stated the discussion all through the go to turned into “extra brotherly than political”, and on the request of Bola Tinubu, chief Obasanjo agreed to no statement from both aspect.”

He said “those claiming to be insiders at the meeting issuing statements on the meeting and people crediting to me statements I had never made are enemies of the visitor and are not doing the visit any good.”