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Former Nigerian president Olusegun Obasanjo has dismissed death claims, declaring that at 89, he remains strong and has no intention of leaving the world anytime soon.
Speaking on Wednesday in Abeokuta during a colloquium organised to mark his 89th birthday, Obasanjo criticised those circulating what he described as a fake letter suggesting he had written about his impending death.
The event, titled “Burden and Blessing of Leadership: Reflections from Global Africa to the World,” formed part of the activities marking the former leader’s birthday celebration.
Obasanjo said the document being circulated in his name was false and reflected the wishes of those hoping for his demise rather than reality.
“For my final note in this address, I want to point your attention to the work of some never-do-well.
“They publish and circulate a fake paper credited to me that I am writing, giving notice of my death, pafuka.
“That is their wish and surely not God’s wish for me. God has assured me that He has more for me to do on earth, and He has given me the wherewithal to do it.
“And those who wish otherwise are going to be dealt with by God Himself. I dey kampe as usual,” the former President said.
Beyond addressing the rumours, Obasanjo used the occasion to reflect on what he described as the persistent leadership challenges facing Africa. According to him, the continent’s struggles are largely the result of leadership failures rather than geography or history.
He argued that Africa possesses immense natural and human resources and should ordinarily be a region characterised by prosperity, stability and global influence. Instead, he noted that many parts of the continent still grapple with poverty, insecurity, conflict and preventable suffering.
“The primary cause is the failure of those entrusted with power to lead for the people and serve them rather than against them; to build institutions rather than subvert them; to welcome accountability rather than flee from it, to ensure equity and justice rather than enthrone injustice, inequality and inequity.”
Drawing from his own experience, Obasanjo said leadership carries significant personal burdens, including difficult decision-making and the weight of responsibility for millions of lives.
He recalled the final days of the Nigerian Civil War in January 1970, when he was commanding the Third Marine Commando Division. According to him, the decision to avoid shelling Owerri during the final phase of the war helped save civilian lives despite intense pressure to advance militarily.
“I remember a few days before the Nigerian Civil War ended in January 1970. I was commanding the Third Marine Commando Division.
“My troops were positioned for the final push. Hundreds of thousands of Igbo civilians were trapped, starving, and dying. On one side was the imperative of ending the war quickly to stop further suffering.
“On the other was the risk that a military advance would deepen the humanitarian catastrophe. No textbook told me what to do. No senior officer was going to make that call. It was mine alone. I made it. We saved lives by not shelling Owerri. History has rendered its verdict,” he said.
Obasanjo also reflected on the expectations Nigerians placed on him when he became president in 1999 after years of military rule, noting that many citizens hoped for immediate transformation.
He further recalled his imprisonment under the regime of Sani Abacha, where he spent more than three years in detention and faced a military tribunal.
“True leadership requires the willingness to hold a position when it is unpopular, to say no when yes would be more convenient, to name a truth that powerful interests wish suppressed.
“This costs friendships. It costs alliances. It sometimes costs your freedom, as I learned in the prison under Sani Abacha, where I was held for three and a half years, tried before a kangaroo tribunal, and very nearly executed.”
Despite the burdens, he said leadership also brings profound rewards, particularly the opportunity to make moral choices and pursue reforms that benefit society.
Among the achievements he stated were Nigeria’s Paris Club debt relief deal and the establishment of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission(EFCC) to combat corruption and recover stolen public funds.
He concluded by urging young Africans to take democracy seriously and commit themselves to transparent and accountable governance, warning that societies that fail to invest in their youth risk creating long-term instability.
Obasanjo further stated that he remained healthy and ready to continue contributing to public discourse and leadership development.
