Peter Obi, former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, has clarified his link with the late Head of State, General Sani Abacha, describing it as purely professional and unrelated to politics.
Obi clarified his relationship with the late General in a statement posted to his LinkedIn page on Wednesday, following public outcry and discussions about his link with the former military ruler.
He stated that his engagement with Abacha came in the context of a task force aimed at decongesting Nigeria’s ports in the 1990s, and was initiated by a group of importers and traders, including himself, who were concerned about delays in clearing goods.
“Our meeting with him was borne out of collective concern as traders and importers over the prolonged delays in clearing goods at the ports,” Obi wrote. “We approached him not as political actors, but as concerned citizens seeking pragmatic solutions to a matter affecting economic activity and livelihoods,” he said.
He maintained that he had never met Abacha before that assignment and noted that his inclusion in the task force was based on his role within the business community at the time, stressing that the engagement was consistent with his long-standing principle of civic duty and transparency
Obi released a copy of an official letter confirming his appointment to the port decongestion task force.
“I hereby attach the letter which documents my co-opting, along with others, into the Taskforce on the decongestion of the Ports
“This clarification is offered in the interest of truth, to reaffirm that our actions were driven solely by a sense of civic duty and not political ambition,” he stated.
Obi also acknowledged that some individuals may continue to question his motives despite the documentation provided.
The ex-Anambra governor added that despite the overwhelming evidence, he didn’t anticipate it would put an end to the Abacha case due to the hidden agendas of certain individuals.
He, however, stressed that the information was being made public both for historical record and to honour his commitment to transparency with Nigerians on any matter with which he’s associated.
