‘You Lie,’ Presidency Slams Obasanjo Over Claim He Wasn’t Invited To June 12 Celebration

The Presidency has countered former President Olusegun Obasanjo over his alleged claim that he wasn’t invited to the June 12 Democracy Day celebration by President Muhammadu Buhari.

Obasanjo and other former Nigerian presidents and Head of States had shunned the occasion which held at the Eagle Square in Abuja.

The former president had been quoted to have said he wasn’t invited to the June 12 event which was recently recognised as Nigeria’s Democracy Day in honour of late MKO Abiola, the presumed winner of the annulled June 12, 1993, presidential election.

But the Presidency, through Buhari’s media aide, Garba Shehu, faulted the former president on the claim.

According to Shehu, Obasanjo’s letter of invitation to the ceremony was received by “his long-time secretary”.

The statement reads, “The former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, owes an answer to Nigerians on his absence from the 2019 Presidential inauguration and Democracy Day celebration because the claim that he was not invited or he did not receive an invitation cannot be sustained.

“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.

“The fact remains that the Secretary to the Government, Boss Mustapha wrote on May 16th, 2019 to:

“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.”

“The invitation was sent to Chief Obasanjo’s known forwarding address, detailing out all the major events, and the invitation cards were delivered by a reputable courier company as confirmed.

“The receipt of the letter and invitation cards as delivered by the courier company was confirmed by Mr. Taiwo Ojo, the long standing Personal Secretary to the former President.

“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,” read Shehu’s statement read.

Meanwhile, Obasanjo previously been cricised by the Abiola family and other prominent politicians for not honouring the late politician by recognising June 12 as the country’s Democracy Day.