Former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has clarified the circumstances surrounding his meeting with the late military Head of State, General Sani Abacha.
In a statement titled “Our Engagement with General Abacha: Setting the Record Straight”, released on Wednesday by his media aide, Valentine Obienyem, Obi stated that the meeting had nothing to do with politics.
He said he was co-opted, alongside other traders and importers, into a Taskforce on Port Decongestion.
He also released a copy of the official letter documenting the engagement.
Obi, a former governor of Anambra State, explained that the meeting became necessary due to the prolonged delays in clearing goods at Nigerian ports, which was affecting business and the economy.
“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.
“We approached him not as political actors, but as concerned citizens seeking pragmatic solutions to a matter affecting economic activity and livelihoods.
“The objective of the meeting was to advocate for efficiency and to propose practical steps to restore order and productivity at the nation’s ports. Our actions were driven solely by a sense of civic duty and not political ambition.
“This clarification is offered in the interest of truth”, he said.