Former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr. Peter Obi, has provided clarification on his past engagement with the late Head of State, General Sani Abacha, stating that the interaction was purely professional and devoid of political motives.
In a statement titled “Our Engagement with General Abacha: Setting the Record Straight” released on Wednesday by his media aide, Valentine Obienyem, Obi also shared an official letter documenting his co-option—alongside other traders and importers—into a government Taskforce on Port Decongestion during the military regime.
The former Anambra State governor said the clarification became necessary “in the interest of all men and women of goodwill, especially those committed to the pursuit of truth.”
According to Obi, the meeting with General Abacha was not political and stemmed from the economic concerns of business stakeholders at the time.
“I had never met General Sani Abacha prior to that encounter,” he said. “Our meeting with him was borne out of collective concern as traders and importers over the prolonged delays in clearing goods at the ports.”
He emphasized that the delegation approached the late Head of State not as political actors but as citizens seeking pragmatic solutions to issues affecting the economy.
“The objective of the meeting was to advocate for efficiency and to propose practical steps to restore order and productivity at the nation’s ports,” Obi added.
He insisted that their actions were motivated by civic duty rather than any political ambition, stressing that the clarification was necessary to preserve the truth.