The 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, has refuted claims that he met or worked with former Head of State, the late General Sani Abacha, offering clarification on his limited involvement during that period.
In a post on X on Wednesday, Obi shared an official 1996 appointment letter to counter allegations that he was associated with the military ruler.
Abacha, who led Nigeria from 1993 until his death in 1998, is widely remembered for severe human rights abuses, suppression of opposition, and extensive embezzlement of public funds.
Despite accusations by some critics suggesting Obi had covert ties to the Abacha regime, the former Anambra State governor released a letter confirming his appointment to a Federal Government Task Force on Ports Decongestion.
“In consonance with my established principles of defending everything I am involved in, and in the interest of all men and women of goodwill, especially those committed to the pursuit of truth, I hereby attach the letter which documents my co-opting, along with others, into the Taskforce on the decongestion of the Ports,” he wrote.
Obi maintained that, as he had stated in a recent interview and previously affirmed, “I had never met General Sani Abacha before that encounter.”
He emphasized that his involvement was strictly in an economic and civic capacity, not political. According to him, the engagement was a response to operational challenges at Nigeria’s ports, aiming to improve logistics and promote economic efficiency for businesses.
He further remarked that the group’s purpose was to “advocate for better logistics and economic outcomes for Nigerian businesses.”
Obi also cast doubt on whether releasing the document would stop those he described as “mischief makers with ulterior motives.” Nonetheless, he said making the information public aligns with his dedication to openness.
“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.
“I don’t expect this copious evidence to bury this Abacha case because the mischief makers have ulterior motives, but it’s being placed in the public space for posterity and in line with my transparency pledge to Nigerians on any issue I am involved in,” Obi added.