Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has stated that picking a running mate when he wanted to become Nigeria’s president in 1999 is one of the mistakes in his life.

Obasanjo spoke on Saturday during a leadership mentoring session with selected students in Abeokuta, Ogun state.

He however said God saved him from the mistake because it was a “genuine” one.

“One thing that has happened to me is that God has never disappointed me and that is very important. For instance, one of the mistakes I made was picking a number two when I was going to become president. But because it is a genuine mistake, God saved me out of it,” the former president said.

“Some people thought it was a mistake for me to go into the army. It could have been a mistake or when Abacha wanted to arrest me, I was told by the American ambassador that they will arrest me and that America has asked I should be given asylum. I said, no.

“It could have been a mistake because I could have lost my life. So I will say, many things that could have been a mistake but God saved me from them all.”