Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has denied meeting with President Bola Tinubu at the 80th birthday reception of the Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo, on Thursday.
Ex-President Obasanjo, in a statement Saturday by his Special Assistant on Media, Kehinde Akinyemi, cited a TikTok video falsely claiming that Tinubu and Obasanjo met on Thursday.
“The former president condemned the fake post, which also lifted a banter conversation that took place between the two, when he played host to the former Lagos State governor last year before the country’s general elections this year,” the statement reads.
According to Akinyemi, Obasanjo says the architect of the “fake, disjointed and sicken(ing) post” should turn elsewhere to find whatever it is they are looking for.
See the full statement below:
Former President, Olusegun Obasanjo has denied the claim that he met with President Bola Tinubu at the 80th birthday reception of the Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo on Thursday.
A video clip on a TikTok social media platform with “@asiwajuwoldwidef” as profile name of the account was posted to falsely claimed that Tinubu and Obasanjo met on Thursday.
This was contained in a statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Kehinde Akinyemi where the former president condemned the fake post, which also lifted a banter conversation that took place between the two, when he played host to the former Lagos State governor last year before the country’s general elections this year.
Akinyemi stated that the former President, who is now in South Africa for the burial of his friend and brother, Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi holding today, said the architect of the fake disjointed and sicken post should rather look elsewhere for the work he/she is looking for and not through him.
” I have not seen Bola Tinubu since he visited me in my house in Abeokuta, when he was campaigning. Secondly, I was at the church and NOT the reception for Alake’s 80th birthday reception.” he said
To put the content of the video in proper perspective, it happened that during Tinubu’s visit to his house last year, he met the former President playing his favorite traditional game (ayo) and he started the banter, jokingly telling the former President that, he was shocked to see him playing the Ayo game at that time of the day.
Spontaneously, as he was getting up from his chair to welcome him and other accompanying visitors, Obasanjo responded: “when I don’t have job. If you are ready to give me job, I am ready to do it.”
Shortly after, Tinubu was heard praying for longevity on Obasanjo’s life, as they both walked into the sitting room with others.
This is however contrary to the meaning the viral video is putting out as Obasanjo says, “I am not looking for work and I am not working with anyone as the fake news puts out. Those who are looking for people to work with Bola Tinubu should look outside Obasanjo,” he declared.
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Kehinde Akinyemi
Special Assistant on Media
Sept. 16th, 2023
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