Peter Obi, former Labour Party presidential candidate and ex-Governor of Anambra State, has strongly denied media reports alleging he travelled to Rome to hold a secret meeting with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over a purported ₦225 billion debt scandal linked to Fidelity Bank.
In a statement released Thursday, Obi described the report as nothing more than a malicious blackmail campaign, designed to damage his hard-earned reputation and sow confusion in the public space.
“It is clear that the biggest business for blackmailers now is to speak about Peter Obi from every negative angle,” Obi said. “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 former presidential candidate was responding to reports that claimed he met President Tinubu in Rome to seek help in resolving a financial controversy tied to Fidelity Bank — a bank where Obi once served as a board member. The reports also alleged that Obi was seeking to cover up a ₦225 billion debt scandal connected to the bank.
But Obi minced no words in setting the record straight.
“I have never sought an audience with, nor met, President Tinubu since he assumed office,” he stated firmly. “The only time I came close to him was at the inauguration Mass of Pope Leo XIV at Saint Peter’s Basilica in Rome. I was seated behind him alongside other dignitaries, and it was just a brief, respectful greeting. Nothing more.”
🔍 Allegations vs Reality
Obi also tackled what he described as “desperate lies” about his ownership of Fidelity Bank, calling out those behind the claims as “blackmailers-in-chief.”
“For the record, I do not own Fidelity Bank,” he said. “Throughout my career, I have served as Chairman or Director of three banks and financial institutions — one of which is Fidelity. But owning a bank? Absolutely not.”
He explained that Fidelity Bank has over 500,000 shareholders, none of whom hold a majority stake, making the idea that he controls or owns the bank completely false.
“These blackmailers are not just targeting me. They are harming hardworking Nigerians and creating unnecessary panic. It’s a dangerous game that does nothing but distract from real national issues,” Obi added.
With the 2027 elections already casting a long shadow over the national conversation, Obi’s name has remained a recurring target in smear campaigns and speculative reporting. But as he pushes back on the Fidelity Bank allegations, one message remains crystal clear from the former LP flagbearer: “I have nothing to hide, and no debt to explain.”
As political tensions rise, so do the stakes — and Obi seems ready to fight back against what he calls “calculated blackmail.” For now, the former governor is standing his ground, praying the public sees through what he describes as “fabricated distractions.”
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