A book launch reportedly scheduled for Thursday by former Nigerian president Olusegun Obasanjo is taking place today in Lagos.
Saharareporters learns that the launch of the three-volume book is now in progress at the Lagos Country Club in Ikeja Lagos.
SaharaReporters learnt from presidency sources that President Goodluck Jonathan personally contacted the former president and pleaded with him to to postpone the book launch until next year after the 2015 presidential election but Mr. Obasanjo reportedly told him that there was nothing in the book that is not known to the Nigerian public.
Asked if he had read the book, President Jonathan replied that he had not got a chance to read it yet. Obasanjo then told him there was no reason to panic about a book he hadn’t read.
SaharaReporters gathered that lawyers to Mr. Obasanjo advised him on the need to launch the book since a court order obtained by wanted drug baron, Kashamu Buruji, a political ally of President Jonathan to stop the publication of the book did not bar the former president from launching the book, they said he was entitled to proceed to launch his book, a source told SaharaReporters.
Early today our reporters observed that several dignitaries including Mr. Obasanjo, former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Ibidapo Obe, former minister of Education and VP of the World Bank, Oby Ezekwesili and several others arrived the Lagos Country Club venue to begin a book launch ceremony that was still in progress as at the time of publishing this report.