The wife of former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, Mrs. Taiwo Obasanjo, on Sunday, sought the forgiveness of Oyo Obas and the Yoruba race in general over a recent action of her husband, which publicly humiliated the traditional rulers.
Obasanjo, a special guest at the commissioning of projects by the Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde had chastised some Yoruba traditional rulers for not standing up in reverence to him as a former president and the governor.
He consequently ordered them to stand up to recognise his presence.
The development, however, stirred immediate reaction across the board with the likes of Yoruba Council Worldwide, the Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulrosheed Akanbi and others calling on Obasanjo to apologize within three days or face the consequences.
But in a statement on Sunday, titled: “Oyo Kings: A plea for forgiveness”, Mrs. Obasanjo begged “for permanent and eternal forgiveness and pardon from all Yoruba sons and daughters worldwide, fathers and mothers, youths, teenagers and children, Christians, Muslims, traditional worshippers, all leaders in Yoruba land and the Council of Kings in Yoruba land.”
While noting that she was appealing with humility as a mother, she begged them to not “avenge on any of us the misdeeds of Daddy Obasanjo.
The statement read: “This is my own personal stand on the manner Chief Olusegun Obasanjo addressed the Kings at Iseyin at the road commissioning by Governor Makinde of Oyo State on Friday 15th September 2023.
“As a legitimate member of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo’s family, l would like to state publicly worldwide and privately that the manner in which Daddy Obasanjo addressed the monarchs is not acceptable to God, to the Yoruba race and the throne of Kingship and it must not be repeated again by any leader in Yoruba land.
“Daddy Obasanjo should not have treated the kings with open contempt and humiliation in order to correct them and reveal their secret that they bow to him privately. It is not good at all. It is too humiliating.
“Protocols could have corrected them privately and respectfully, humbly with love and friendliness. The only person that is infallible is God,” adding that God Himself is known as the King of kings and mortals too speak up to God when there is a misunderstanding of His intent.
She added, “I want to publicly state here that on behalf of the family, the children, the wives, the grandchildren and all members of the family of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, l am offering a big and genuine apology both spiritual and physical to all the kings of Oyo State, all the kings of Yoruba land and the entire Yoruba race both in Nigeria and Diaspora.
“Please, l beg for permanent and eternal forgiveness and pardon from all Yoruba sons and daughters worldwide, fathers and mothers, youths, teenagers and children, Christians, Muslims, traditional worshippers, all leaders in Yoruba land and the Council of Kings in Yoruba land. Please l humbly appeal with all humility don’t avenge on any of us the misdeeds of Daddy Obasanjo.
“I am a full Yoruba woman married to Chief Olusegun Obasanjo for over 40 years and l have two children for him both male and female. I am a grandmother. I do not support the humiliating treatment of the kings of Oyo State by Chief Olusegun Obasanjo. Let history bear my record that l came out to apologise to the Oyo kings and Yoruba land on behalf of the family of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo.”
