Peter Obi explains Abacha link

Peter Obi

Former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has clarified the nature of his involvement with the late Head of State, General Sani Abacha, stating that it was purely professional and unrelated to politics.

Obi made the clarification in a statement posted to his LinkedIn page on Wednesday, in response to recent public discussions about his association with the former military ruler.

According to Obi, 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 maintained that he had never met Abacha prior to that assignment and noted that his inclusion in the task force was based on his role within the business community at the time.

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,” he stated.

He said the engagement was consistent with his long-standing principle of civic duty and transparency, adding, “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.”

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.

GUARDIAN Newspapers.