Former President of Nigeria, Olusegun Obasanjo, has claimed that he was jailed by under the military regime of the late Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha, for being outspoken on national and international issues.
According to him, he decided to run for presidency in 1999, because he had a desire to save Nigeria from disintegration.
In a statement on Friday by his Special Assistant on Media, Kehinde Akinyemi, Obasanjo made these remarks this while hosting youths under the aegis of the Future Africa Leaders Foundation.
Obasanjo described his imprisonment as one of the life challenges he faced, attributing it to his refusal to remain silent on pressing 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.”
