Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has debunked reports that he bribed the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to rig the 2023 pesidential election for the candidate of the Labour Party, LP, Peter Obi.
The former president is an ardent supporter of the LP candidate, and to show his strong support for him, recently wrote a letter calling on Nigrians, particularly youths to vote for Obi in the February 25,election.
In the endorsement letter, the former leader said the LP candidate is the best to rule the country among the frontline candidates which include Atiku Abubakar and Bola Tinubu of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and All ProgressivesCongress, APC.
Other reports have claimed that Obasanjo has colluded with INEC to ensure that Obi emerges the winner. He was said to have bribed the electoral umpire with a whopping N5 billion.
According to a statement by his media aide, Kehinde Akinyemi, the former president described the report as completely false.
He said he had only endorsed Obi in the letter he wrote to Nigerians, adding that any other report should not be ascribed to him.
The statement released on Thursday said, “The former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo is not responsible for the viral stories on some discredited platforms on the forthcoming general elections in Nigeria,” his spokesman, Kehinde Akinyemi, said in a statement issued yesterday.
“Also, apart from the letters dated January 1, 2023 respectively, one which was addressed to the Nigerian youths and the other to Prof. Toyin Falola on his 70th birthday, there has been no other public or private letter written to anybody by the former President.
“The reading public is for the umpteenth time reminded that only a statement duly signed by His Excellency, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo or by his Media Assistant, Kehinde Akinyemi are to be allowed into the media space.
“If need be, necessary checks can be made to confirm the authenticity of such documents before publication to avoid any embarrassment.”
Similarly, the former president has disclosed that he could have gotten a third term in office if he wanted.
Obasanjo’s has been tainted after the botched third term saga which he has variously denied.
