Omololu Ogunmade in Abuja
The presidency last night described as untrue the claim by former President Olusegun Obasanjo that he did not receive any invitation to the inauguration of President Muhammadu Buhari on May 29 and June 12, respectively.
In a statement, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media, Mr. Malam Garba Shehu, said the former president’s claim has the tendency to polarise the country as some individuals have exploited the allegation to launch attacks on the presidency.
He said the letters that were dispatched to Obasanjo were received by his personal secretary as evident in the acknowledgment of the receipt of the letter.
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 polarisation have cashed in on it, throwing all manner of rubbish at the Buhari Presidency.
“The fact remains that the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, wrote on May 16, 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.”
