Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has revealed that his outspoken stance on both national and international matters led to his imprisonment under the military regime of the late General Sani Abacha in 1995.
Obasanjo also explained that his decision to pursue the presidency in 1999 was motivated by a desire to prevent Nigeria from disintegrating.
He admitted that after retiring from military service at the age of 42 in 1979, he turned to farming.
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It is important to remember that Obasanjo served as Nigeria’s military head of state from 1976 to 1979.
The former president shared these insights during an event on Friday, where he hosted youths from the Future Africa Leaders Foundation.
The delegation included 10 recipients of the prestigious Future Africa Leaders Awards.
In his remarks, Obasanjo described his imprisonment as one of the significant challenges in his life, attributing it to his refusal to stay silent on critical issues.
He said, “I joined the army and retired at 42, but I was still young, energetic, and dynamic. So, I took up agriculture. During that time, I was imprisoned, something I didn’t want.
“Going to prison is a challenge, but I ended up there because I refused to keep quiet. For me, if there was something to comment on, I spoke out, and that landed me in prison.
“When I came out, the situation in the country was so dire that some people felt it needed saving, and pressure mounted on me to intervene.”
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