VIDEO: I’ll attend your 70th birthday, Obasanjo jokes about missing Olota’s 80th celebration

File: Former President Olusegun Obasanjo

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo added humour and warmth to the 60th birthday celebration of the Olota of Ota, Oba Professor Abdulkabir Obalanlege, offering prayers for the monarch while delivering a lighthearted remark about future milestones.

Speaking in Yoruba during the anniversary event, the 89-year-old elder statesman reflected on his early-morning call to the traditional ruler before making a humorous pledge regarding the monarch’s future milestone birthdays.

“Kabiyesi, I called you this morning and prayed for you,” Obasanjo said in Yoruba.

Obasanjo drew laughter from guests when calculating the timeline of the monarch’s future birthday celebrations.

Noting that he would be 99 at the king’s 70th and nearly 110 at his 80th, Obasanjo playfully asked to be excused from the latter milestone.

“I’m here celebrating your 60th birthday. I’ll join you for your 70th birthday in 10 years, but for your 80th birthday, which is 20 years from now, ẹ yonda mi (you’ll excuse me); you’ll celebrate that one the way it pleases you,” Obasanjo said.

The remarks drew laughter from dignitaries, traditional rulers, and guests gathered to honour Oba Obalanlege on his diamond jubilee.

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PUNCH Online earlier reported that at the event, Fuji legend King Wasiu Ayinde, popularly called legend K1 De Ultimate, prostrated fully to Obasanjo as he came on stage, in a moment that captured traditional Yoruba respect and cultural display.

Watch the video below:

𝐕𝐈𝐃𝐄𝐎: 𝐈’𝐥𝐥 𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝟕𝟎𝐭𝐡 𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐝𝐚𝐲, 𝐎𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐚𝐧𝐣𝐨 𝐣𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐎𝐥𝐨𝐭𝐚’𝐬 𝟖𝟎𝐭𝐡 𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

“I’m here celebrating your 60th birthday. I’ll join you for your 70th birthday in 10 years, but for your 80th… pic.twitter.com/Qbw9UFTW6X

— Punch Newspapers (@MobilePunch) August 29, 2026

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