Peter Obi, former governor of Anambra State and Labour Party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 election, has said his meeting with the late military ruler, General Sani Abacha, had nothing to do with politics.
In a statement titled “Our Engagement with General Abacha: Setting the Record Straight”, Obi explained that he and a few other traders and importers were co-opted into a taskforce on port decongestion during Abacha’s regime. He released a copy of the official letter confirming his inclusion in the group.
According to Obi, “The meeting with General Abacha was not political in nature. I had never met General Sani Abacha, prior to 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.”
He added, “We approached him not as political actors, but as concerned citizens seeking pragmatic solutions to a matter affecting economic activity and livelihoods.”
Obi said the goal was simple: “to advocate for efficiency and to propose practical steps to restore order and productivity at the nation’s ports.”
He insisted that, “Our actions were driven solely by a sense of civic duty and not political ambition.”
“This clarification is offered,” Obi said, “in the interest of all men and women of goodwill, especially those committed to the pursuit of truth.”
