On Sunday, former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo held a memorial church service to honor the late former U.S. President Jimmy Carter.
The service took place at The Chapel of Christ The Glorious King, located within the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL) in Abeokuta, Ogun State. Obasanjo described Carter as a righteous man, a lover of humanity, and a dear friend whose legacy deserved a meaningful and reflective tribute.
Obasanjo emphasized Carter’s global impact, speaking about his principles of discipline, morality, integrity, humility, and compassion for the less privileged. “Jimmy Carter was a great world leader, a man of God, and a true friend of mine,” he remarked.
Reflecting on Carter’s upbringing, Obasanjo made some relations between their early lives. Both were born into farming families—Carter in Plains, Georgia, and Obasanjo in Ibogun-Olaogun, Ogun State. They shared experiences of growing up in modest rural environments, guided by strong family values. “Carter’s upbringing instilled in him the essence of hard work, integrity, and compassion for the poor, virtues that I also received from my parents,” Obasanjo noted.
Obasanjo recounted his interactions with Carter during crucial moments in his life, particularly highlighting Carter’s intervention during his incarceration under Nigeria’s former military dictator, Sani Abacha. “Carter was the only non-African leader, to my knowledge, who visited Abacha to plead for my release. Through his efforts, I was temporarily moved from detention to house arrest, though Abacha later reversed this,” Obasanjo shared.
Following his release after Abacha’s death, Obasanjo visited Carter in the United States. Carter revealed that Ted Turner, founder of CNN, had also advocated for Obasanjo’s freedom. Carter told him, “Ted Turner offered to take care of you and your family wherever you chose to live.” This gesture deeply moved Obasanjo, who expressed his enduring gratitude to both Carter and Turner.
In his speech, titled “Jimmy Carter: The Departure of a Titan,” Obasanjo praised Carter’s leadership style, marked by humility and collaboration. “Carter carried along an army of co-workers who shared his vision. He led by example, and success followed him,” he said.
Obasanjo concluded by paying heartfelt tribute to his late friend: “For me, I have lost a great and true friend, but I know we shall meet again in Paradise. May his soul rest in peace.”
