Obasanjo Pays Tribute to Jimmy Carter in Memorial Service
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Sunday held a memorial service at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library in Abeokuta, Ogun State, to honor his late friend, Jimmy Carter, the 39th President of the United States, who passed away at the age of 100 on December 29, 2024. Obasanjo described Carter as a “titan and man of peace,” paying heartfelt tributes to the American leader,Daily Trust reports.
Carter, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate in 2002 for his post-presidential work, was remembered for his personal efforts to save Obasanjo’s life during his imprisonment by the late General Sani Abacha’s regime. Obasanjo recounted how Carter took extraordinary steps to secure his release, visiting Abacha to personally plead for his freedom.
“President Carter was one of the foreign leaders who truly stuck out their necks to save my life and sought my release from prison. He visited Abacha solely to ask for my release. His intervention led to my transfer from prison to house arrest on my farm, though this arrangement did not last long,” Obasanjo shared.
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He went on to express his enduring gratitude to Carter for the effort, noting that while many leaders intervened, Carter was the only non-African leader to personally visit Abacha for this purpose.
Obasanjo also revealed that Carter later informed him of the role played by Ted Turner, the founder of CNN, in securing his release. Carter told Obasanjo that Turner had offered to support his family if he was freed. “I was deeply moved by this gesture, and I immediately thanked Ted Turner, who expressed the same sentiments as President Carter,” Obasanjo said.
Reflecting on the commonalities between his life and Carter’s, Obasanjo recalled their shared background. Both were born into farming families—Carter in Plains, Georgia, and Obasanjo in Ibogun-Olaogun, Ogun State. They were both raised by disciplinarian parents who instilled values such as hard work, integrity, and compassion for the poor. Obasanjo humorously pointed out that while Carter had a road leading to his village, his own village lacked a road, and villagers had to walk or use bicycles for transportation.
Obasanjo further noted their military backgrounds and their meeting during his time as Nigeria’s military Head of State. He reflected on their mutual interest in tackling the challenges facing Africa, particularly the fight against apartheid and the removal of colonial influences in Southern Africa.
While he will miss Carter deeply, Obasanjo expressed hope that they would meet again in the afterlife. He concluded his tribute with a lesson he learned from Carter’s leadership style: “President Carter led by example, with humility, and worked alongside a dedicated team. His leadership was a testament to the power of shared ideals and the commitment to a greater cause.”
In his final words, Obasanjo said, “I will miss my great and true friend, but I know we shall meet again in Paradise.”
