Taiwo Obasanjo, the wife of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, has apologised to traditional rulers in Oyo State over his husband’s statement ordering the monarchs to stand and greet Governor Seyi Makinde at a road commissioning in the Iseyin area of the state.

A video of Obasanjo, who spoke in Yoruba language, surfaced on the internet on Friday, September 15, 2023, lashing out at the traditional rulers for not rising to greet Makinde.

The former president had said the action of the monarchs in Oyo State was disrespectful to the office of the governor, an action which was greeted with wide condemnation.

However, Taiwo, in a statement issued on Sunday, September 17, said the manner in which Obasanjo addressed the monarchs was “not acceptable to God, to the Yoruba race and to the throne of Kingship and it must not be repeated again by any leader in Yoruba land.”

She noted that the former president should not have treated the traditional rulers with “open contempt and humiliation” in order to correct them and revealing they bow for him privately, adding that “it is not good at all. It is too humiliating”.

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Taiwo, who stated that she has been married to Obasanjo for over 40 years and has two children with the former president, apologised to the monarchs, saying: “Protocols could have corrected them privately and respectfully, humbly with love and friendliness. The only person that is infallible is God. God Himself is known as the King of kings and mortals too speak up to God when there is a misunderstanding of His intent. An example was when God in annoyance wanted to destroy the Israelites in the wilderness, Moses had to speak up and beg God not to destroy them.

“Monarchy is an institution God Himself established before any political government came up to manage the affairs of men.

“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.”

The Star