Peter Obi, who was the Labour Party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, has clarified the circumstances of his meeting with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in Rome.
Obi, along with former Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi, encountered President Tinubu at Pope Leo XIV’s installation mass in Rome on Sunday.
In a post on his X handle on Thursday, Obi denied that the brief encounter was related to a purported ₦225 billion debt crisis involving Fidelity Bank, where he once served as Chairman.
Read Also: Peter Obi Speaks On Alleged Meeting With Tinubu In Rome Over ‘₦225bn Fidelity Bank Debt’
He emphasized that, apart from this approximately one-minute meeting at Saint Peter’s Basilica during the Pope’s inauguration Mass, he has not met President Tinubu since the latter assumed office.
“It’s obvious that the biggest business for blackmailers now is talking about Peter Obi from every negative perspective. Even my solemn spiritual trip to Rome has been twisted into yet another blackmail campaign by merchants paid ostensibly to propagate anything negative against Obi.
“One such individual, whose entire life revolves around blackmail, falsely claimed that I went to Rome to have a private meeting with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu regarding a purported N225 billion debt crisis involving Fidelity Bank. These claims are not only baseless, malicious, but entirely false.
“Let me categorically state that I have never sought an audience with, nor met, President Tinubu since he assumed office, except about 1 minute meeting at the arena of Saint Peter’s Basilica Rome during the inauguration Mass of Pope Leo XIV, where I was seated behind, and had to respectfully greet him, and other dignitaries present.
“I was previously in Rome on the 9th of May for the lying in state of Pope Francis. Immediately after the mass and exchanging pleasantries, I went straight from Vatican City to London, and then back to Nigeria,” Obi said.
Peter Obi stated that individuals he termed “blackmailers-in-chief” and others who spread misinformation have falsely claimed he owns Fidelity Bank.
The former Anambra State governor clarified that, for the record, he does not own the bank.
“Throughout my career, I have served as Chairman/Director of three banks/Financial institutions, of which Fidelity is one of them. Fidelity has over 500,000 shareholders, none of whom hold a majority stake. What this blackmailer seeks is to harm these hard-working Nigerians and cause them needless distress.
“To those peddling these falsehoods, and engaging in blackmail, I offer a simple prayer: May God grant you the virtues of gratitude and understanding to know that we came here with nothing and will go with nothing, that they cannot profit from their evil ways,” Obi said.
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