Former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Wednesday disclosed how his late wife, Stella Obasanjo, contacted numerous international leaders to request his release from prison.
On March 17, 1995, Obasanjo was arrested by the military government of late General Sani Abacha and convicted of participating in a plot to topple the military government.
Obasanjo, who was elected civilian president in 1999, addressed in Benin City as the Edo State Government commissioned the restored and expanded 250-bed Stella Obasanjo Hospital.
Governor Godwin Obaseki’s government built the hospital, which is named after Nigeria’s first lady.
The former president, who appeared as a guest speaker, said that his wife did all humanly possible to get him out of prison.
According to him:
“When I was in prison, that woman left no stone unturned. She went all over the world to seek my release. She went to Japan, she went to the entire Europe, she went to the Vatican, she went to Latin America, she went through Africa, she left no stone unturned for my release and God answered her prayers and the prayers of all those praying for me and I came out of prison alive.
“What could I do? I thought, coming out of prison, I’ve had it all. When we were planning for my wife’s 60th birthday anniversary, we never had that birthday anniversary before she died.
“It was very painful to me in particular and to all of us in my family. You can appreciate how thankful I am to you for doing this in her honour.
“I thank all the people of Edo State because I had a woman who made tremendous contributions to the achievements of my government.”
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cc: Daily Post Ng
