Chief (Mrs.) Taiwo Obasanjo is the wife of former President Olusegun Obasanjo In an interview published by Vanguard, apologized to the former President for the problems they encountered in their marriage, saying she would continue to love and adore him as her husband.
What is your relationship with the former President? Have you reconciled?
Yes, I have reconciled with him and I want to use this medium to say the reconciliation is not only because of myself, but also because of other women out there, our daughters, both single and married, who may be reading this, that I am genuinely sorry for all I did wrong in the course of my relationship with my husband.
If I am to speak truthfully, and I want to speak truthfully, I did a number of things wrong. He has his faults and I have my own faults too, but, when I listen to the inner voice of God within me, a woman should not be the boss of her husband. I am the one who left him. He didn’t tell me to go and he didn’t chase me out of the marriage. He is a man I love very much and I will forever love him. He is my first love and I am very proud of him. He is not Mr. Perfect and I am not Mrs. Perfect but I love him and I did a number of things wrong which I am now spiritually conscious of.
I will like to publicly say to him that I am genuinely sorry for all I did wrong. I love him and I will forever love him. I also apologize to anyone I have hurt before and also to my twin brother, Chief Kenny Martins. My twin brother loves me strongly and very protective of me and my children. My twin is a very good man. I also hurt him too and I am deeply sorry. I pray for Daddy OBJ that his latter days will be better and greater than the former.
God will preserve and protect him and still use him for us. He is a legend. He is in the class of Nelson Mandela. He is a great man. A lot of good is deposited in him, inactive, not publicly put to use and I will even encourage youths to gather themselves – I can even lead some of them if they approach me – to him and get him to talk to government, if not at the federal level, but to state governors. They can use him to reach their governors to implement people-oriented programmes so that we can be more progressive, productive and reduce poverty and lack of employment. I am praying Daddy Obasanjo would also leave an everlasting, beautiful, glorious legacy. At this age, he also would want to do a number of things right. His being alive is not ceremonial or decorative.
Son in politics
I encouraged my son to go into politics. It is not that he did not support us, but I will love to say publicly that it is not good for children to defy their father or mother or to ‘slap’ them in their pursuit in life. My son went to APC against the wish of the father because Daddy OBJ is no more pro-APC. What my son did was a terrible slap. I should have encouraged my son to seek the approval of his biological father first. He was the President of our nation that ruled longest and still living. My son could gain better by being in one accord with the father. I will not advise anyone, any child to go against the wishes of their parents even if not pronounced.
The father has held various positions, became President twice and my son should have sought his blessings. I should have joined in making things right. I should have taken my son to his father for blessings on the issue. They actually get on very well. It is only in the area of politics that he didn’t go the way of the father. He has a good relationship with my son. He lives with him, works for him and the father provides him everything. He bought him cars, pays his staff and he does not lack anything under him.
Prodigal wife
Like the prodigal son in the Bible, I can refer to myself as the ‘prodigal wife’. Yes. It is to God and to Olusegun Obasanjo I belong in Jesus mighty name, not to any other man and I am very proud of him. I am a complete woman. I am happy that I am alive today to give thanks to God and to reconcile with him because if I was long gone, I would have ended in hell. I will encourage all our women, our wives not to hold on to the pains, grudges, bitterness or whatever anyone has done to them. Let us bring our families together. The healing and the unity will also affect the nation.
Lonely road
Looking back, I would have loved him the more. I would have stood by him and be more protective of him because leadership is a lonely road and you need someone who loves you for who you are, who you can flow with without fear. The bond between me and him is a good one. He loves me, loves my family and I love him too.
