Peter Obi says his meeting with late Sani Abacha was solely for resolving port challenges.
He stressed the engagement had no political motive but addressed trade issues hurting the economy.
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Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has clarified the nature of his past encounter with Nigeria’s former military leader, General Sani Abacha, insisting it had no political undertone.
In a statement posted on his verified X account on Wednesday, Obi explained that his only engagement with Abacha happened years ago during efforts to address the inefficiencies in Nigerian ports. According to him, the meeting arose out of a shared concern among businesspeople over the delays in clearing goods at the ports, which were negatively impacting trade and the economy.
“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 stated. “We approached him not as political actors, but as concerned citizens seeking pragmatic solutions.”
Obi said he had never met Abacha before that time and only participated in the meeting after being involved in a task force aimed at resolving port congestion. He shared an official letter to back up his appointment to the task force, underscoring his long-standing stance on transparency.
He emphasized that the aim of the task force was to propose ways to improve port operations for the benefit of both the business sector and the national economy.
“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.
While acknowledging that some critics may still misrepresent his involvement, Obi said sharing the details was important for transparency and historical record.
