The presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 general elections, Mr. Peter Obi, has firmly denied ever working in any government capacity before becoming the Governor of Anambra State in 2006.
Obi made the clarification during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, following renewed claims that he served under the late military Head of State, General Sani Abacha.
“I have never worked for any government before becoming governor. I was a very successful businessman, and everybody knows that. I built my business from scratch,” Obi stated.
He recounted an encounter during Abacha’s regime where he, along with other businessmen, was invited to Abuja to discuss the challenges of port congestion. According to him, this interaction was misconstrued as government service.
“As a businessman, I was part of those controlling trade in Lagos then. When Abacha took over, the ports closed. The situation led to a national economic strain due to unprocessed exports and uncleared imports,” Obi explained.
He added that he and other private sector leaders were invited by the then Minister of Finance and the Head of State to help form a committee to resolve the congestion at Nigeria’s ports and airports.
“That’s the only thing I had to do with the port. It was a business engagement, not a political appointment,” he stressed.
Obi also emphasized that his entrance into politics came after years of building a reputable business career from the ground up.
The clarification comes amidst a flurry of speculations surrounding his past and political alliances. Obi reiterated his commitment to transparency and service, while distancing himself from any prior government role.
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