The 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr. Peter Obi, has released an official appointment letter from 1996 to dispel growing allegations that he worked for the late military Head of State, General Sani Abacha, widely regarded as one of Nigeria’s most repressive leaders.
General Sani Abacha ruled Nigeria from 1993 until his death in 1998. His regime was notorious for widespread human rights violations, suppression of dissent, and large-scale looting of public funds.
The controversy erupted after some critics accused Obi of secretly collaborating with the Abacha regime.
In response, Obi on Wednesday made public a document appointing him to a Federal Government Task Force on Ports Decongestion, clarifying that his role was purely economic and civic, not political.
Dated April 24, 1996, the letter was issued on the official letterhead of the Federal Ministry of Finance, signed by then Minister of State for Finance, Alhaji Abu Gidado.
It was addressed to the Secretary of the Lagos Commerce Association, and formally appointed several individuals—including Obi—as members and coordinators in the national task force created to resolve port congestion issues.
Obi was appointed to serve at the Apapa Port alongside Edwin Okeke. Others listed in the letter include:
Mr. Okey Ezibe – Coordinator for all ports
Chief Chike Chigbue – Assistant Coordinator and liaison with the police at FIIB Alagbon
Joe Best Okoye and Prince Tony Akanegbu – Tin Can Island Port
Patrick Chibueze and Chief Okey Okereke – Murtala Mohammed Airport
The letter also instructed relevant security and customs agencies to cooperate fully with the appointees to ensure smooth port operations.
“You are hereby appointed as co-opted coordinators and co-opted members of the Ports Decongestion Committees in Lagos… You are urged to cooperate with the Team Leaders of the various Committees of the Ports,” the letter read in part.
In a statement accompanying the release of the letter, Peter Obi categorically denied ever working for or meeting General Abacha personally, insisting that his involvement was limited to efforts by business leaders to address worsening delays at Nigerian 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,” Obi said.
“Our engagement with the regime 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.”
Obi said the objective of the task force was to restore efficiency to port operations and minimize economic losses caused by bottlenecks in cargo clearing.
“Our intention was clear: to advocate for efficiency, and to propose practical steps towards restoring normalcy in port operations for the benefit of the wider business community and, ultimately, the Nigerian economy,” he stated.
Obi emphasized that the release of the document was in line with his commitment to transparency and accountability, particularly in the face of what he described as politically motivated attacks.
“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 noted.
“I don’t expect this copious evidence to bury the 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.”
