Peter Obi, former Labour Party presidential candidate says he’s being targeted by hired blackmailers bent on spreading lies.
He denied meeting President Bola Tinubu privately in Rome over an alleged ₦225 billion debt scandal tied to Fidelity Bank.
Obi described the story as untrue and calculated to smear his image.
In a post shared on X, he said his recent trip to Rome was strictly spiritual. He attended the lying in state of Pope Francis and the inauguration Mass of Leo XIV.
His words: “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 ₦225 billion debt crisis involving Fidelity Bank. These claims are not only baseless, malicious, but entirely false.”
He clarified that the only contact he had with Tinubu was a brief exchange of pleasantries at St. Peter’s Basilica during the papal mass.
“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.”
Obi explained he had been in Rome on May 9, attended the mass, and then left directly for London before returning to Nigeria.
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He also pushed back against claims that he owns Fidelity Bank.
“The self-proclaimed ‘blackmailer-in-chief’ and others who thrive on spreading pain and falsehoods have also claimed that I own Fidelity Bank. For the record, I do not. Throughout my career, I have served as Chairman/Director of 3 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.”
Obi ended by calling for reflection:
“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. A new Nigeria is POssible.”