18th March, 2023
Adejoke Adeleye, Abeokuta
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo was not present to vote at his polling unit 22, Ward 11, Olusomi compound ,Totoro, area of Abeokuta-North local government area of the state, Ogun State in Saturday’s governorship and state houses of assembly elections.
It was the first time that the two time Nigerian leader will not vote in an election since Nigeria return to democracy in 1999.
Obasanjo was Nigeria’s first elected president when the country returned to democracy in 1999 from military rule.
He was reelected for another term of office in 2003.
He had also served as Nigeria’s military president.
Obasanjo who had earlier threw his support behind the presidential candidate of the Labour Party ,Peter Obi, voted in the February 25, 2023 presidential and National Assembly election.
But the Labour Party presidential candidate lost the election to Bola Tinubu of All Progressives Congress, APC.
But the journalist who thronged the former President’s polling unit to, as usual, capture him while exercising his franchise during the governorship and houses of assembly elections on Saturday, were disappointed as was no where no be found.
When contacted, Obasanjo’s media aide, Kehinde Akinyemi confirmed his boss had traveled out of the country 10 days before the election.
Akinyemi in a phone interview hinted that Obasanjo was billed to return a day before the election, but he was yet to arrive.
He said “Chief Obasanjo had traveled 10 days ago to India, US and, UK. He was supposed to return back to the country yesterday (Friday) March 17 but could not return.”