Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has strongly denied reports suggesting that he traveled to Rome to meet with President Bola Tinubu regarding a supposed ₦225 billion debt linked to Fidelity Bank.
In a statement issued on Thursday, Obi condemned the allegations, calling them part of a deliberate blackmail campaign aimed at tarnishing his reputation. “It is clear that the biggest business for blackmailers now is to speak about Peter Obi from every negative angle,” Obi stated. “Even my solemn spiritual trip to Rome has been distorted into yet another blackmail campaign by paid merchants intent on spreading falsehoods against me.”
The controversy stems from media reports claiming that Obi secretly met with President Tinubu in Rome to seek intervention in a financial scandal allegedly involving Fidelity Bank, where Obi previously served as a board member. However, Obi categorically denied these claims, emphasizing that he had never sought a private meeting with President Tinubu regarding any banking issue.
“I have never sought an audience with, nor met, President Tinubu since he assumed office, except for a brief, respectful greeting during the inauguration Mass of Pope Leo XIV at Saint Peter’s Basilica in Rome, where I was seated behind him alongside other dignitaries,” Obi clarified.
Additionally, Obi addressed rumors regarding his connection to Fidelity Bank, where he served as a director in the past. He clarified that he does not own the bank and that the claims being circulated were completely unfounded. “The self-proclaimed ‘blackmailer-in-chief’ and others who profit from spreading pain and falsehoods have claimed that I own Fidelity Bank. For the record, I do not. Throughout my career, I have served as Chairman or Director of three banks and financial institutions, one of which is Fidelity,” Obi explained.
Obi reiterated that Fidelity Bank has over 500,000 shareholders, with no single entity holding a majority stake. He condemned those behind the rumors as individuals seeking to harm hardworking Nigerians and create unnecessary distress.
This latest development marks a continuation of the ongoing campaign of misinformation that Peter Obi says he has been subjected to in recent times. He remains steadfast in his commitment to transparency and truth, despite the growing attacks on his character.
