FORMER Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate Peter Obi has clarified his engagement with the late Head of State, Sani Abacha, stating it was strictly for port efficiency and not politics.
The former Anambra State governor disclosed this in a statement posted on his official LinkedIn page on Wednesday, July 9.
Obi addressed speculation about his past interactions with Abacha by releasing documentary evidence to back up his claims.
He stated that his clarifications originated from concerns raised by Nigerians on his association with the late general.
He released a letter confirming his appointment to a port decongestion task force, emphasising that his involvement was driven by civic duty rather than political ambition. He stated that the clarification was made in the interest of truth.
According to him, he worked with a group of Nigerian traders and importers to remove congestion due to operational challenges at the ports.
Obi said that in line with his principles of defending his actions and in the interest of people of goodwill and truth-seekers, he was attaching a letter that documented his inclusion in the Task Force on Port Decongestion.
“As I stated during my interview at the weekend and consistently maintained in the past, I had never met General Sani Abacha before that encounter,” Obi stated.
He explained that the group of traders and importers approached Abacha due to frustration over persistent delays in clearing goods at Nigerian ports, and the delays were hurting businesses and the economy.
“We approached him not as political actors, but as concerned citizens seeking pragmatic solutions to a matter affecting economic activity and livelihoods,” he added.
Obi acknowledged that some critics might still question his motives, labelling them as “mischief makers with ulterior motives” despite releasing evidence into the public domain for transparency and posterity, aligning with his pledge to be open with Nigerians about his activities.
Obi has faced many criticisms in recent weeks. Apart from clarifying his role in Abacha’s government, The ICIR reported that the Julius Abure faction of the Labour Party (LP) on Wednesday revealed its plan to expel him from the party over his involvement in an opposition coalition launched recently to remove President Bola Tinubu from office in the next election.
The faction’s National Publicity Secretary, Abayomi Arabambi, disclosed this when he appeared on Channels Television’s ‘The Morning Brief’ on Tuesday, July 8.
According to him, Obi’s continued engagement with the coalition while still identifying as a Labour Party member is unconstitutional.
Similarly, he recently faced backlash from some APC supporters after he raised the alarm over the demolition of his brother’s property in Lagos State.
A reporter with the ICIR
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