Peter Obi clears air on past ties with Abacha, releases evidence(PHOTOS)

Former Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has addressed recent public speculation regarding his past dealings with late military Head of State, General Sani Abacha, asserting that their engagement was strictly professional and not political.

In a statement shared via his official Facebook page on Wednesday, Obi provided a detailed explanation alongside documentary evidence to clarify the nature of the relationship.

Obi revealed that the interaction with Abacha’s administration stemmed from a collective concern raised by Nigerian traders and importers, including himself, over prolonged delays in clearing goods at the country’s seaports. According to him, the group sought a solution to the bureaucratic bottlenecks affecting their businesses, which led to formal discussions with the government at the time.

He said, “In consonance with my established principles of defending everything I am involved in, and in the interest of all men and women of goodwill, especially those committed to the pursuit of truth, I hereby attach the letter which documents my co-opting, along with others, into the Taskforce on the decongestion of the Ports.”

He emphasised that prior to that meeting, he had never met General Abacha and noted that their engagement with the military leader was driven by economic concerns, not political interests.

“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 explained.

“We approached him not as political actors, but as concerned citizens seeking pragmatic solutions to a matter affecting economic activity and livelihoods.”

Obi maintained that his participation in the port decongestion task force was rooted in civic responsibility.

He released a letter confirming his appointment to the task force, reiterating that the aim was to enhance efficiency at the ports to support business and economic growth.

“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,” he stated.

While acknowledging that some individuals may continue to question his motives, Obi dismissed such critics as “mischief makers with ulterior motives,” and stressed that making the facts public was part of his commitment to transparency.

“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 added.