Labour Party presidential candidate and former Anambra State governor, Peter Obi, has addressed renewed public scrutiny over his past interaction with Nigeria’s late military ruler, General Sani Abacha. Obi clarified that his involvement was purely civic, driven by economic concerns, and not politically motivated.
In a post shared on his official X handle on Wednesday, Obi released a document confirming his appointment to a federal Taskforce on Port Decongestion set up during the Abacha regime. He said the move was aimed at correcting widespread misrepresentations of the roles played by private sector participants at the time.
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Obi explained that the taskforce was formed in response to the economic toll of prolonged delays in clearing goods at Nigerian ports, an issue that severely impacted importers, traders, and the wider economy.
“As I stated during my weekend interview and have always maintained, I had never met General Sani Abacha before that encounter,” Obi wrote.
He continued, “Our meeting with him arose from our collective concerns as traders and importers over port delays. We approached him not as political actors, but as concerned citizens looking for practical solutions.”
Obi emphasized that the engagement was non-political, aimed solely at improving logistics and economic efficiency. “This clarification is to reaffirm that our actions were driven by civic duty not political ambition,” he said.
Although skeptical that his explanation would silence detractors whom he called “mischief makers with ulterior motives”, Obi said it was important to make the record public as part of his commitment to transparency.
“I don’t expect this evidence to end the controversy, but I’m putting it out there for posterity and in line with my transparency pledge to Nigerians on any issue involving me,” he stated.
His clarification comes amid growing scrutiny of political figures and their roles during Nigeria’s military regimes, particularly as the country heads toward the 2027 general elections.
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