Obasanjo denies fleeing Nigeria ahead of general elections

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has denied reports that he has fled Nigeria ahead of Saturday’s presidential and National Assembly elections.

He said he remains in Nigeria to perform his civic responsibility of voting according to the dictate of his heart on Saturday and on March 2, governorship and house of assembly elections.

A Facebook user, one Gbenga Lawal had posted, “Breaking: Obasanjo jets out of Nigeria. He can’t even wait for the thief he is imposing on Nigerians.”

But speaking with journalists at his Presidential Library, Abeokuta, Obasanjo described the post as “fake news,” wondering why he should travel out of the country before the elections of February 16 and March 2.

He said, “Why should I travel out of the country before the election? If not for anything, I believe I should be here to perform my civic responsibility, which is to vote according to the dictate of my heart tomorrow and on the second of March.

“Those who are carrying that type of rumour or fake news; I leave them in the hands of God; I am used to that kind of thing.

“In Yoruba land, if your head is hard, you don’t have to worry yourself.

“Let anybody tell lies against you, let anybody issue fake news against you, let anybody abuse you, God will deal with them rightly and appropriately.”

Obasanjo had in several letters and comments branded President Muhammadu Buhari an incompetent leader deserving no reelection.

He has since endorsed the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, as his preferred candidate to succeed Buhari.

Atiku served as Vice President to Obasanjo between 1999 and 2007. The two have been political enemies since, but Obasanjo forgave Atiku towards the ending of last year.