By Halimah Olamide
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has said he never authorised anyone to apologise o his behalf over his stand up order to traditional rulers in Oyo state last Friday.
Obasanjo rather than apologise, he maintains his stance on the fact that a governor is the highest authority in any state and the governor must be accorded that respect.
NPO Reports that his estranged wife, Taiwo Obasanjo, had issued an apology to all stakeholders who felt insulted by the former President’s order which sparked condemnations.
Obasanjo had issued the order in during the inauguration of projects executed by the state Governor, Seyi Makinde.
Taiwo in a report titled, “Oyo Kings: A plea for forgiveness”, 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.”
However, Obasanjo said Taiwo is neither his wife nor a member of Obasanjo’s family.
He described her as an impostor.
The estranged wife has two children for Obasanjo.
Chief Obasanjo said this in a statement issued by his Special Assistant on Media, Kehinde Akinyemi, and made available to journalists.
He said only he could make any statement on behalf of the Obasanjo family or people delegated by him to do so.
The statement partly reads, “The attention of former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo has been drawn to a statement purported to be issued by a wife of the President 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 statements on behalf of the Obasanjo family except Chief Obasanjo or people delegated by him to do so.
“It must be noted that the state of health of Ms. Martins is known to all and sundry and whatever she says or does has nothing to do with Chief 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.”