I did not endorse South-East for Presidency — Obasanjo

Former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo on Saturday has denied endorsing the South-East for the presidency ahead of the 2023 election.

Obasanjo’s rebuttal follows an online report quoting him to have backed the region to produce the next president for the country.

According to the report, the former president stated that south-easterners can bring a lot to the table if elected.

The ex-president speaking via his media aide, Kehinde Akinyemi, stated that while receiving Mao Ohuabunwa, a presidential aspirant, in Abeokuta, Ogun State, words were put in his mouth thus the misrepresentation in the media.

However, Obasanjo tackled Ohuabunwa as being the brain behind the report, saying he (the aspirant) put words into his mouth.

The former president through the statement noted that it was a wrong approach by Ohuabunwa.

Speaking through his Media Aide, Kehinde Akinyemi, in a statement made available to newsmen in Abeokuta, Obasanjo said, “If that was the way the presidential aspirant wanted to approach his ambition; such was a wrong way.”

He said “He came here and the former President received him as a gentleman and in the spirit of his 85th birthday celebrations only for him to go and put words into his mouth. Baba is not that sort of man and if that is the way he wants to fulfil his ambition that is a wrong way.” (Daily Trust)