Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, has responded to allegations linking him to the military regime of former head of state, General Sani Abacha.
Abacha’s administration, which lasted from 1993 to 1998, is widely remembered for systemic corruption, repression of civil liberties, and economic mismanagement.
Some critics have accused Obi of being politically involved in that era. However, in a statement shared on his social media platforms, Obi clarified the nature of his interaction with the former dictator and included documentary evidence to support his claim.
“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. 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 to a matter affecting economic activity and livelihoods,” Obi said.
Obi stated that the meeting with Abacha was the result of a collective effort by businesspeople worried about bottlenecks at the ports. The purpose, he said, was not political involvement but a push for administrative reforms to improve trade.
“Our intention was clear: to advocate for efficiency, and to propose practical steps towards restoring normalcy in port operations for the benefit of the wider business community and, ultimately, the Nigerian 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.
“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.”
He also shared a letter dated April 24, 1996, signed by then Minister of Finance, Abu Gidado. The letter titled ‘Appointment as Co-opted Members of Taskforce on Ports Decongestion’ was addressed to the Lagos Commerce Association secretary and listed Obi and Edwin Okeke as members assigned to the Apapa port.
