Obasanjo:

By Jamiu Yisa

Ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo, has revealed how a biblical passage actually helped him agree to run in the 1999 presidential race, after series of advice from friends both home and abroad, shortly after his release from prison.

OBJ, as he is fondly called, equally reminisce on how late South African President, Nelson Mandela, and a retired Anglican Bishop and South African rights activist in that country, Desmond Tutu, also influenced his decision.

Speaking at a church service programme, held at the Treasure House of God, Agbeloba, Abeokuta, Ogun state, on Sunday, to mark his 80th birthday celebration, Obasanjo said the advice of the duo, among others, prompted him to go into the presidential race.

According to him,“When I came out from prison for the offence I didn’t commit and people started putting pressure on me to be Nigeria’s President, I was confused.

“But in that confusion I sought advice, not from here. I went first to Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu. Mandela said ‘Olu (Olusegun) whatever your instinct tells you, follow it.

“Tutu, after listening to me, said ‘are you tired of serving God and your people.’ He now said ‘my advice to you is that go and do what your people asked you to do.’”

Obasanjo, who led Nigeria both as a military and a civilian leader, further added that a biblical passage helped him finally to agree to run in the 1999 presidential race.

“When I now came back, one day I was reading the book of Esther and I saw where Modekiah said you are here for your people and I started changing my mind from there,” he said.