By Ayomide Otitoju
Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, has dismissed allegations linking him to the ownership of Fidelity Bank or a reported private meeting with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over a fictitious N225 billion debt crisis.
In a post via his verified X (formerly Twitter) handle @PeterObi, Obi described the claims as baseless and malicious, accusing unnamed political actors of deliberately twisting his recent trip to the Vatican for blackmail.
“It’s obvious that the biggest business for blackmailers now is to paint Peter Obi in negative light,” he wrote. “Even my spiritual trip to Rome has been weaponized by those whose stock in trade is falsehood.”
Obi clarified that his only encounter with President Tinubu occurred briefly at the Vatican, during the inauguration Mass of Pope Leo XIV. “I greeted him respectfully like I did other dignitaries. No private meeting occurred, and no such debt discussion ever took place,” he stated.
He also addressed claims of owning Fidelity Bank, noting: “I have served as Chairman/Director in three financial institutions, one of which is Fidelity. The bank has over 500,000 shareholders, and I am not one with any majority stake.”
Obi warned that such false narratives are designed to incite public mistrust and cause distress. “Those who thrive on blackmail and deceit should remember that we brought nothing into this world and will leave with nothing.”
