Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has strongly refuted recent claims alleging that he served under the late Nigerian military ruler, General Sani Abacha, during his time in power. Obi, who has consistently positioned himself as a champion of good governance and transparency, clarified his stance in an extensive interview on Channels TV’s Sunday Politics.
Obi firmly stated that he never met, worked for, or collaborated in any capacity with Abacha throughout his military regime. He emphasized that all aspects of his professional and political journey have always been conducted openly and are available for public scrutiny and verification.
The former governor of Anambra State addressed the allegations after they resurfaced recently following comments by former presidential aide Reno Omokri, who claimed that Obi collaborated with Abacha’s administration. Obi described these claims as unfounded and misleading, urging the public not to be swayed by political propaganda or misinformation campaigns designed to tarnish his image.
In his detailed explanation, Obi recounted that during Abacha's regime, there was a crisis related to port congestion, which severely affected imports and exports. Business leaders, including Obi, sought to meet with officials to resolve these critical economic issues affecting their businesses and the Nigerian economy at large.
He elaborated …
“There was a time during Abacha’s government, because, you know, when Abacha took over, he said, all ports, and everything closed.
“So they came out with a policy that caused congestion in our ports. Goods were not being cleared, goods were not being exported and everything. And some of us felt we needed to go and see the head of state then, or at least the Minister of Finance.
“So we came to Abuja, we had an audience with the Minister of Finance and the president, and we were able to elucidate the problem we are facing.
“The President then directed his Finance Minister that he should take some of us who are the leaders, should just form a committee to decongest all ports in Nigeria, make sure that in each committee, one of us is involved.
“That’s the only thing that had to do with the port. And then when we finished maybe two weeks, three weeks, they said it is now time to probe and reorganise the port.
“Because I have written in one of my comments that Nigerian Port Authorities, the only port I know in the world that have an office outside its country of operation, and couple that they’ve seen whether they said he will become a member of the panel.
“I have never met Abacha. I don’t know him. I know he was in military. Everything I have done in my life is in the public space.”
Obi stressed that his only involvement was as a business stakeholder representing the interests of the private sector and advocating for solutions to the port crisis that threatened Nigeria’s economic activities at the time. He maintained that at no point did he hold any government position or participate in the administration or policy-making process under Abacha.
He called on Nigerians to focus on facts and evidence rather than propaganda designed to distract from pressing national issues. His clarification has since sparked a wave of reactions on social media, with many of his supporters praising his transparency and openness, while critics continue to push for further explanations.
Watch video below …