Former President Olusegun Obasanjo revealed on Thursday that his mother, Bernice Obasanjo, carried his pregnancy for 12 months before giving birth to him.
He attributed the delay in his birth to the influence of witches and wizards who troubled his mother until divine intervention.
According to a statement issued in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, by his media assistant, Kehinde Akinyemi, the former president made this assertion during a drama presentation titled “Aremu omo Asabi.”
The event was held to mark the 66th anniversary of his late mother’s passing at the main auditorium of the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library in Abeokuta.
Obasanjo lamented that it was unfortunate that his mother never lived to witness the greatness and success he achieved with God’s help, nor did she enjoy the fruits of her hard labour.
He shared that, although his mother had nine children, only he and his sister survived.
“I was told I was in my mother’s womb for 12 months, and since I was born, I have not been left for once. She had nine children, but two of us survived—me and my sister,” Obasanjo said.
He added, “I was the only one who went to school because my father’s belief was that no matter how educated a female child is, she would end up in the kitchen.”
During the programme, Obasanjo promised to support the troupe’s quest to present the longest open drama to clinch a Guinness World Record.
The state governor, Dapo Abiodun, represented by his deputy, Noimot Salako-Oyedele, also spoke at the event.
She emphasised that mothers are the foundation upon which any society is built.
The deputy governor described Obasanjo’s mother as a great woman whose influence continues to endure through her children, especially Obasanjo, who remains a formidable figure in Nigeria’s history.
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