By Abiola Olawale
The 2023 Presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi has released evidence to clarify his involvement with the administration of the late General Sani Abacha, Nigeria’s military head of state from 1993 to 1998.
Obi, a two-term governor of Anambra State, in a statement issued on Wednesday X, said he never met Abacha physically or had any direct dealings with him.
He explained that his role was confined to a Taskforce on Port Decongestion, a civic initiative driven by business leaders to address economic disruptions caused by severe port congestion during the mid-1990s.
He said: “Our meeting with him was borne out of collective concern as traders and importers over the prolonged delays in clearing goods at the ports. We approached him not as political actors, but as concerned citizens seeking pragmatic solutions.”
He emphasized that the objective of the engagement was to advocate for greater efficiency at the ports and propose measures to improve operations for the benefit of the business community and the Nigerian economy at large.
Buttressing his claims, Obi released a letter documenting his appointment to the task force, reiterating his long-standing commitment to transparency and truth.
“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 added.
This comes after allegations emerged that Obi collaborated with the Abacha government through activities at the Tincan Island Port in Lagos.
