The vice presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Rotimi Amaechi, has explained why his children did not attend school in Nigeria, blaming the situation on political persecution during the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
Amaechi made the explanation during an interview on News Central Television on Friday, recalling how he left the country after Obasanjo allegedly threatened to arrest him following his victory in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship primary in Rivers State in 2006.
According to the former Rivers State governor, Obasanjo opposed his emergence as the party’s candidate for the 2007 governorship election, forcing him to seek legal redress and eventually leave the country.
He said he spent about 10 months in exile after the former president threatened to arrest him.
“President Obasanjo tried to stop me from being a governor, but you will see that I did not go to sleep, I went to court and when he threatened arrest, I left the country,” Amaechi said.
He explained that his children began their education abroad during the period, adding that returning to Nigeria would have disrupted their schooling after they had already settled into foreign educational institutions.
Amaechi said his family was forced to move from one house to another during the period to avoid possible arrest and ensure their safety.
“My children did not go to Nigerian school because Obasanjo chased us out of Nigeria. My wife and children were running from one house to another. They had to go to school outside the country to stay alive and to keep learning,” he said.