Obasanjo debunks endorsing Tinubu, sends message to his supporters

Former President, Olusegun Obasanjo has denied endorsing the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu.

Obasanjo disclosed the latest development on Saturday in a statement issued by his Special Assistant on Media, Kehinde Akinyemi.

This is coming amidst the claims that the former president endorsed Tinubu for the 2023 election following their closed-door meeting on Wednesday, in Ogun State.

Speaker of House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, had revealed that what transpired during the meeting between Obasanjo and Tinubu was a sign of victory for APC in 2023.

Gbajabiamila made the statement on Thursday while speaking at the APC meeting in Surulere Local Government Area, Lagos

The Speaker, who was present at the closed-door meeting on Wednesday in Abeokuta, said from what he heard there, Tinubu’s presidency was almost a reality.

Gbajabiamila in his statement said: “When we were going to Obasanjo’s house, we were eight, including Asiwaju Tinubu; we did not want many people to know about the meeting. So, we were to meet Obasanjo and five others from his side.

“But when we eventually got there, we met something pleasantly shocking: a mammoth crowd of our supporters were at Obasanjo’s house waiting for us.

“So, Obasanjo told Asiwaju Tinubu to pick three people from his side and that he would pick three from his side to meet behind closed doors.

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

Reacting to the claim, Obasanjo said the statement credited to him is fake and that the people behind the report are not helpful to the candidate.

Obasanjo expressed dissatisfaction with what he described as an unauthorised report of the discussion at the closed doors meeting he held with Tinubu.

He added that the statements coming from those claiming to be supporters of Tinubu are not helpful to the recent visit.

Obasanjo said: “Those claiming to be insiders at the meeting issuing statement on the discussion and those crediting to me statement I had not made are enemies of the visitor and are not doing the visit any good.”