Ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo has vowed that nothing would make him apologize to the traditional rulers that he ordered around in Iseyin last weekend.

 Obasanjo, denied Ms Taiwo Martins who pleaded with the royal fathers to pardon him after ordering them to stand up for Oyo Governor. 

Obasanjo who was special guest of honour had chastised some Yoruba traditional rulers at the event for not standing up to accord him respect as a former president. He consequently ordered them to stand up and recognize his presence.

Ms Martins said “Please, please, all of you, the traditional rulers, I greet you. Thank you for your presence. But, let me say something. Anywhere there is a Governor or President, no traditional ruler, has to stand up and greet the governor or the President. Stand up, sit down.

 Ms Martins had issued a statement pleading with the monarchs to pardon her husband (Obasanjo).

But in a statement issued on his behalf by his media aide Kehinde Akinyemi, the former President Olusegun Obasanjo denied her and declared he won’t tender an apology to the traditional rulers. 

“The attention of former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo has been drawn to a statement purported to be issued by a wife of the President with the photograph of one Ms. Taiwo Martins as the author of the statement.

“For the records, Ms. Martins has two children, Jonwo and Bunmi, for Chief Obasanjo but to say emphatically that she is not his wife nor a member of the Obasanjo family.

“Her posturing as Chief Obasanjo’s wife is false and that of an impostor. Nobody makes statement on behalf of the Obasanjo family except Chief Obasanjo or people delegated by him to do so.

“It must be noted that the state of health of Ms. Martins is known to all and sundry and whatever she says or does has nothing to do with Chief Obasanjo as an individual or the Obasanjo family as a whole.

“However, the former President Olusegun Obasanjo has affirmed that he stood firmly, unapologetically and uncompromisingly on the position that the Governor of a State holds the highest office in the State.

“By that position, the respect, protocol and dignity that must be given to the office by virtue of the Constitution must not be denied. To do otherwise is to deride the office and the Constitution.