Former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi has strongly refuted reports claiming he traveled to Rome to meet President Bola Tinubu regarding an alleged ₦225 billion debt linked to Fidelity Bank, where he previously served as a board member.
In a statement released on Thursday, Obi described the report as part of a coordinated blackmail campaign against him.
“It’s obvious that the biggest business for blackmailers now is talking about Peter Obi from every negative perspective,” Obi stated. “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.”
The former Anambra State governor categorically denied ever requesting or holding a private meeting with President Tinubu to discuss any banking matters.
“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,” he clarified.
Obi also addressed false claims about his ownership of Fidelity Bank, stating: “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.”
https://x.com/PeterObi/status/1925417180545335495?s=19
He explained his professional history with the bank: “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.”