Abiodun Onafuye/ Abeokuta

Former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo has explained why he was late to the birthday ceremony of another former President of Nigeria,Alhaji Usman Shehu Shagari on Wednesday in Sokoto,Sokoto State.

Several newspapers reported that Obasanjo arrived deliberately late to the event to avoid President Goodluck Jonathan.

Obasanjo and Shagari at Shagari’s 90th birthday

Obasanjo expressed dismay over the report, which according to him was a biased report that did not edify good journalism.

Debunking the report, Obasanjo said he has “no cause to dodge, avoid or snub my colleagues for what we all agreed to do together.”

The former President explained that he was trapped in a heavy traffic on his way to Lagos to catch up with the flight on the fateful day, having left Abeokuta as early as 6.45am in order to catch up with his colleagues in Sokoto.

All the former Heads of State, including, Gen. Yakubu Gowon, Gen. Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida, Gen. Abdulsalam Abubakar, Head of Interim National Government, Chief Ernest Shonekan and President Goodluck Jonathan were at the celebration, where a commemorative cake marking the 90th birthday was cut.

A former Head of State who is also the Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in the March 28,2015 Presidential election, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, who incidentally was the man who ousted Shagari from office on December 31,1983,was conspicuously absent at the ceremony.

GMB as Buhari is now called was away in London where he alongside other APC leaders canvassed international support ahead of the general elections in the country.

In a statement released in Abeokuta on Sunday, Obasanjo lamented the perceived imputation made in some of the reports in some national dailies, describing it as unfortunate.

“I have read with dismay the imputation of some section of the media to the unfortunate incident of my not being able to be with my colleagues at the birthday celebration of President Shehu Shagari on Wednesday 25 February.

“Leaving Abeokuta at 6:45am and hoping to fly out of Lagos airport at 8:30am, to Sokoto, we ran into a very bad traffic hold-up that made me get to Lagos airport at 10:45am. I did not arrive at Shagari’s house until about mid-day by which time the team of my colleagues had left.

“It is a pity that the media did not report my profuse apologies to both Shagari and other colleagues when I spoke at Shagari’s house,”the statement disclosed.