Peter Obi Clears Air on Ties to Abacha, Says Role Was Civic, Not Political

Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has addressed ongoing claims suggesting a political alliance between him and the late Head of State, General Sani Abacha, clarifying that his involvement with the regime was strictly professional and rooted in civic duty.

In a statement posted Wednesday on X, Obi explained that he was co-opted into a government task force focused on decongesting Nigerian ports during Abacha’s tenure—an initiative, he emphasized, that was based on national interest, not politics.

“Our meeting with him was borne out of collective concern as traders and importers over the prolonged delays in clearing goods at the ports,” Obi stated.
“We approached him not as political actors, but as concerned citizens seeking pragmatic solutions.”

He added that prior to that meeting, he had never met General Abacha.

“Our intention was clear: to advocate for efficiency and to propose practical steps towards restoring normalcy in port operations.”

To further support his claim, Obi shared a copy of the official letter documenting his appointment to the task force.

“I hereby attach the letter which documents my co-opting, along with others, into the Taskforce on the decongestion of the Ports.”

Obi stressed that the move was driven by civic responsibility, not ambition or affiliation.

“This clarification is offered in the interest of truth, to reaffirm that our actions were driven solely by a sense of civic duty.”

In a closing remark clearly directed at those pushing the narrative of a political alliance with Abacha, Obi said:

“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.”