Abuja, Aug 25, 2011 (Vanguard/All Africa Global Media via COMTEX) -- Former Military President, General Ibrahim Babangida, said yesterday he would embrace ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo whenever they both meet.

This came as former Special Assistant to former President Obasanjo on Public Communications, Femi Fani-Kayode, yesterday made a volte face in his support for Babangida in the disagreement between both former leaders and tendered an unreserved apology to his former boss.

Fielding questions from newsmen at the Presidential Wing of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, the former Military President said: "I will embrace him (Obasanjo) if he walks to the airport now." Both leaders have been engaged in a heated exchange of words as Babangida, in his 70th birthday interview in Minna, had dismissed Obasanjo's eight-year administration as a waste, while Obasanjo hit back with a declaration that Babangida was "a fool at 70." The former Military President said there was no quarrel between himself and Chief Olusegun Obasanjo.

Meanwhile, former Special Assistant to former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Public Communications, Femi Fani-Kayode, has tendered an unreserved apology to his former boss, following his earlier declaration that Obasanjo was ungrateful to Babangida for getting him out of jail and making it possible for him to become President in 1999.

In a statement, Fani-Kayode said his choice of words in the statement he issued was clearly ambivalent and completely misconstrued and misunderstood by virtually all and sundry.

It would be recalled that Mr Femi Fani-Kayode in a statement last week, said rather than call Gen Ibrahim Babangida a fool, former President Olusegun Obasanjo should be grateful to Babangida for getting him out of jail, securing him pardon, rehabilitating him, funding and installing him as president in 1999.

Fani Kayode said: "The press statement that I issued on August 22, 2011, concerning the face off between President Olusegun Obasanjo and Gen Ibrahim Babangida has been completely misconstrued and misunderstood by virtually all and sundry.

"I do not blame anyone for this but my own good self, given that my choice of words was clearly ambivalent.

"At no point in time did I say that President Obasanjo was ungrateful or that he was an ingrate and neither did I ever slam or attack or seek to insult or demean him in any way. This was never my intention and given the strong relationship that I have with him, I would be the last person on earth to do such a thing.

"I did not in any way mean to inflame or widen the conflict by my comments because both men are very precious to me. That would be the last thing that I would wish to do. I simply went on a historical excursion which unfortunately appears to have upset and unsettled a number of people that I respect and that are very close to me, including a number of our traditional rulers in the South-West and some members of my family.