Former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo has paid tribute to his late wife and former First Lady, Mrs. Stella Obasanjo, twenty years after her passing. A memorial service in her honour was held on Saturday at the Chapel of Christ the King of Glory, within the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL) in Abeokuta, Ogun State.

Stella Obasanjo, who died on October 23, 2005, at the age of 59, passed away following complications from an elective cosmetic surgery in Spain. The procedure had been planned to coincide with her 60th birthday. During the service, Obasanjo described his late wife as a woman who lived her life in service to others, saying, “We are here to celebrate a life of service.”

The memorial was attended by her son, Muyiwa Obasanjo, and prominent dignitaries, including former Ogun State Governors Gbenga Daniel and Ibikunle Amosun, among others. In his tribute, Stella’s younger brother, John Abebe, remembered her as a warm and cheerful person whose smile could melt any anger. “She was someone you couldn’t stay angry with because she always smiled through every difficulty,” he said.

Her only child, Muyiwa, also shared emotional memories, describing his late mother as caring but strict, a woman who valued discipline and never tolerated nonsense. “She was protective and disciplined. I’ve always tried to live my life by her standards,” he said.

Both Daniel and Amosun also praised Stella Obasanjo for her honesty, compassion, and integrity, noting that she lived an exemplary life worth celebrating. The event served not only as a remembrance but also as a celebration of a woman whose impact on those around her remains strong two decades after her passing.