By Ihechi Enyinnaya
Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, Mr. Peter Obi, has broken his silence over viral claims linking him to a purported N225 billion debt crisis involving Fidelity Bank, and an alleged secret meeting with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in Rome.
Describing the allegations as “baseless, malicious, and entirely false,” Obi dismissed the claims as part of a growing trend by what he termed “blackmail merchants” determined to tarnish his image.
“It’s obvious that the biggest business for blackmailers now is talking about Peter Obi from every negative perspective,” Obi said in a statement released on Wednesday. “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.”
Obi firmly denied seeking or holding any private audience with President Tinubu, clarifying that their only encounter was a brief and courteous greeting during the inauguration Mass of Pope Leo XIV at Saint Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City.
“I have never sought an audience with, nor met, President Tinubu since he assumed office, except about a one-minute meeting at the arena of Saint Peter’s Basilica where I was seated behind and had to respectfully greet him and other dignitaries present,” Obi stated.
He explained that his recent trip to Rome was on May 9 for the lying in state of the late Pope Francis. “Immediately after the mass and exchanging pleasantries, I went straight from Vatican City to London, and then back to Nigeria,” he added.
Addressing rumors about his ownership of Fidelity Bank, Obi clarified that while he once served as a Chairman/Director at the bank, he does not own it.
“Fidelity has over 500,000 shareholders, none of whom holds a majority stake. What this blackmailer seeks is to harm these hard-working Nigerians and cause them needless distress,” he said.
Without naming individuals, Obi referred to a “self-proclaimed blackmailer-in-chief” as the source of the falsehoods and concluded his statement with a message of peace.
“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, and that they cannot profit from their evil ways,” Obi stated.
He signed off with his trademark slogan: A new Nigeria is POssible.