Obssanjo says he remains strong...

Former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo on Wednesday dismissed rumours about his death, saying at 89 he remains healthy and will not die “anytime soon.”

Obasanjo condemned the circulation of a fake letter in which he was purportedly announcing his death, describing those behind it as “never-do-well” individuals wasting their time.

The former president made the remarks while delivering a colloquium titled “Burden and Blessing of Leadership: Reflections from Global Africa to the World” in Abeokuta, part of activities marking his 89th birthday.

Obasanjo said he believed God had deliberately kept him alive and in good health.

“For my final note in this address, I want to point your attention to the work of some never-do-well,” he said.

“They publish and circulate a fake paper credited to me that I am writing, giving notice of my death. That is their wish and surely not God’s wish for me.”

He added that God still had more for him to accomplish.

“God has assured me that He has more for me to do on earth, and He has given me the wherewithal to do it… I dey kampe as usual,” he said.

Obasanjo also used the occasion to highlight what he described as a longstanding leadership crisis across Africa, saying it had hindered the continent’s development and prosperity.

“Africa is not a problem to be managed but a promise to be fulfilled through honest, courageous, selfless and transformational leadership,” he said.

The former president argued that leadership failure, rather than geography or history, remained the primary cause of Africa’s economic and governance challenges.

“The primary cause is the failure of those entrusted with power to lead for the people and serve them rather than against them,” he said.

He warned that many leaders enter office with reform promises but later undermine institutions, silence critics and govern for personal gain.

“The same young reformer who promised accountability begins to silence the press, harass the judiciary and intimidate civil society,” he said.

Reflecting on his own experiences, Obasanjo described leadership as a lonely responsibility that often involves difficult decisions affecting millions of people.

He recalled his role as commander of the Third Marine Commando Division near the end of the Nigerian Civil War in January 1970, when he chose not to shell the city of Owerri in order to reduce civilian casualties.

Obasanjo also spoke about the personal cost of leadership, including his imprisonment under the military regime of Sani Abacha, where he spent more than three years in detention and faced the possibility of execution.

He said leadership also carried blessings, citing achievements during his presidency from 1999 to 2007, including Nigeria’s Paris Club debt relief and the establishment of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to tackle corruption.

Addressing young Africans, Obasanjo urged them to take democracy seriously and work toward transparent, accountable governance.

“A continent that fails its youth does not merely waste a generation; it plants the seeds of instability that will haunt the next several generations,” he said.

Reaffirming his health and longevity, the former president dismissed rumours of his death and reiterated that he remained active.

“God has assured me He has more for me to do on earth… I dey kampe as usual,” he said.