Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has revealed how he travelled all the way to India to consult an Indian palm reader to find out the exact day he was born.
But the former president was disappointed as the palm reader could not disclose to him the exact day he was born. Rather, the Indian astronomer told him that he would live long.
Obasanjo divulged these details about his long quest to know the exact day he was born in Abeokuta at the 2017 International Youth Variety Day and Public Presentation of volume one of Olusegun Obasanjo’s Books for Children to mark his 80th birthday.
Obasanjo acknowledged what many had been saying that 1937 might not be the exact date of his birth but said he was convinced that he was born around the year considering the age of some of his childhood friends.
The event was part of activities of the Grand Opening of the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL) and 80th birthday of Obasanjo.
He said: “I do not know the date of my birth, then, I used to ask my mum that ‘mama they said we should come to school with our date of birth and my mum will say you are very stupid, you are born on Ifo market day. And whoever wants to know the date of your birth, tell them you are born on Ifo market day.
“She explained that all she could remember was Ifo market day. She was ready to go to Ifo market that day before she went into labour, before those that went to market comes back I have already been born.
“That then led me into the trouble of trying to find out when I was born, I was not as lucky as some of my colleagues that have their date of birth .
“In fact, I went to an astronomer in India, I told him to look at my palm and tell me my real age, but, all he told me was that I will have longevity of life, but, that was not what I went to do. So, I concluded on the date that I have chosen.”
