Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has clarified his past engagement with the late Head of State, General Sani Abacha.
Obi insisted it was strictly professional and had no relation to politics.
He disclosed this in a statement posted on his official LinkedIn page on Wednesday.
Addressing recent speculation about his past dealings with Abacha, Obi presented documentary evidence to support his position.
He explained that the initiative stemmed from concerns raised by a group of Nigerian traders and importers, including himself.
He stated, “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.
“As I stated during my interview at the weekend and consistently maintained in the past, I had never met General Sani Abacha before that encounter.”
He noted that the group approached the military leader out of frustration with the persistent delays in clearing goods at Nigerian ports.
These delays, he said, were adversely affecting businesses and the economy.
He explained, “Our meeting with him was borne out of collective concern as traders and importers over the prolonged delays in clearing goods at the ports.
“We approached him not as political actors, but as concerned citizens seeking pragmatic solutions to a matter affecting economic activity and livelihoods.”
He emphasised that the sole aim of the engagement was to improve operational efficiency at the ports to benefit the business community and the national economy.
To back his claims, Obi released a letter confirming his appointment to the port decongestion task force, reiterating that his participation was a matter of civic duty, not political ambition.
“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,” Obi stated.
While acknowledging that critics might still question his motives, Obi described them as “mischief makers with ulterior motives,” adding that putting the facts in the public domain was necessary to maintain 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 stated.
