Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has expressed his gratitude to former Head of State, Yakubu Gowon, for his role in saving his life during the regime of the late General Sani Abacha.
Obasanjo revealed that he was unaware of Gowon’s intervention at the time when Abacha had ordered his execution.
Recall that the former president was imprisoned by the Abacha government on accusations of plotting a coup to overthrow the regime.
Over the weekend, Gowon disclosed that he had personally written to Abacha, pleading for Obasanjo’s life.
In response, Obasanjo thanked Gowon for his actions, noting that while he had been aware of the support he received from friends and individuals both in Nigeria and abroad during his imprisonment, he had never known about Gowon’s personal appeal on his behalf, according to Politics Nigeria.
Obasanjo explained that after his release, he had traveled around the world to thank those who had contributed to his release, but the revelation of Gowon’s letter came as a surprise.
He expressed deep appreciation for the former Head of State’s efforts in securing his release.
He said, “I want to acknowledge my boss, General Yakubu Gowon. Yesterday he made a revelation and I have to thank you specifically for that. When I came out of prison, I had the opportunity to thank friends, inside and outside the country who contributed to appeal and pray for my release from prison.
“And I went round the world thanking those that have been appealing and praying for my release from prison. But I did not know that you wrote a personal letter for my release until you said it yesterday; I thank you for that,” Obasanjo said.