The 2023 Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has responded to allegations that he worked for former Head of State General Sani Abacha.
Mr. Obi released a document dated April 24, 1996, on Wednesday in a post on X to debunk the claim, which was made by critic Reno Omokri.
The document, titled “Appointment as co-opted members of the task force on ports decongestion,” was signed by the then Minister of State for Finance, Abu Gidado.
Obi clarified that his role was purely economic and civic, not political, and that he had never met Abacha before the encounter.
The former Anambra State Governor emphasised that his engagement with the Abacha regime was driven by a sense of civic duty to address inefficiencies plaguing port operations.
He also stated that the group’s intention was to advocate for better logistics and economic outcomes for Nigerian businesses.
Obi released the document to place the record in the public domain, consistent with his commitment to transparency and accountability.
He expressed skepticism that the release would silence critics with ulterior motives but did so to set the record straight.
In a previous interview, Obi had spoken about his relationship with the military government, explaining that he was part of a group of businessmen who met with the Minister of Finance and Abacha to discuss port congestion issues.
Abacha’s regime was criticised for human rights violations, suppression of dissent, and looting of public funds.
