The Presidency says thee former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, owes an answer to Nigerians on his absence from the 2019 Presidential inauguration and Democracy Day celebrations.
Malam Garba Shehu, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, in a statement in Abuja on Wednesday, said Obasanjo’s claim that he was not invited or he did not receive an invitation could not be sustained.
He said: “Since the claim was first made, elements in the polity that have deliberately and consistently been trying to lead the country toward polarization have cashed in on it, throwing all manner of rubbish at the Buhari Presidency.”
According to him, the fact remains that the Secretary to the Government, Boss Mustapha, had written to Obasanjo on May 16, inviting him to both events.
He said the address on the letter read: “His Excellency, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, GCFR, Former President, Federal Republic of Nigeria, Agbe L’Oba House, Quarry Road, Ibara, P.O.Box 2286, Abeokuta, Ogun State”.
Shehu stated that the invitation was sent to Obasanjo’s known forwarding address, detailing out all the major events, and the invitation cards were delivered by a reputable courier company as confirmed.
He added that the receipt of the letter and invitation cards as delivered by the courier company was confirmed by Taiwo Ojo, the long standing Personal Secretary to the former President.
Shehu added: “If, in the circumstance, Chief Obasanjo did not see or receive the letter and invitation cards as published by Vanguard newspaper (Page 16, June 16, 2019) and several other news platforms, then the former President needs to find out what is happening with his own secretariat.
“The government office did its job diligently and should not be blemished for no reason.”
Former Nigerian leaders including Obasanjo, Yakubu Gowon, Ibrahim Babangida, Abdulsalami Abubakar and Chief Ernest Shonekan were reported absence during the June 12 Democracy Day event in Abuja.
