Peter Obi Breaks Silence, Publishes Official Letter to Debunk Abacha Allegation: “We Met Him Once, Not as Politicians, But as Troubled Traders”

Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has finally addressed lingering allegations that he was part of General Sani Abacha’s government, releasing official documentation to clarify what he calls a “deliberate misrepresentation” by political adversaries. The former Anambra State governor shared a letter showing he was co-opted into a taskforce on port decongestion—alongside other importers and business leaders—strictly to address critical delays that were crippling trade in the 1990s.

The letter, which Obi shared on his verified social media pages on Monday, July 8, 2025, shows that he and several respected businessmen were invited to the port taskforce purely in their capacity as importers whose businesses were suffering under the weight of sluggish port operations. He stated clearly that he had never met General Abacha until that singular encounter and that their engagement with the military ruler was purely solution-driven, not politically motivated.

Obi’s clarification comes amid fresh online attacks that tried to link him to Abacha’s regime, accusing him of being complicit in its notorious excesses. “We were traders, not politicians,” Obi emphasized. “Our encounter with Abacha was born out of concern for our businesses and the struggling economy. We sought solutions, not appointments.”

He insisted the taskforce was focused on resolving the severe backlogs at the ports, which had made it nearly impossible for Nigerian importers to clear their goods. Many businesses were shutting down at the time, and traders bore the brunt of heavy demurrage fees, economic losses, and delays caused by inefficiencies and corruption in port logistics.

“This evidence may not stop those pushing falsehoods, but I owe Nigerians transparency,” Obi wrote. “I’ve never hidden my past. Every action I’ve taken, including this one, was guided by civic responsibility—not political ambition.”

He further slammed his critics for continuously twisting facts to serve propaganda, asserting that the letter is now public “for posterity.” He maintained that his history as a businessman with integrity remains untarnished and warned that attempts to muddy the waters with lies would ultimately fail in the face of truth and documented facts.

Obi’s statement has since sparked conversations online, with many praising his decision to back up his words with official proof. Political commentators say this move reinforces his image as one of the few Nigerian politicians committed to record transparency and public accountability.