By Charles Maduka
Peter Obi has refuted claims that he travelled to Rome for a secret meeting with President Bola Tinubu concerning an alleged ₦225 billion debt involving Fidelity Bank.
The former Labour Party presidential candidate described the report as an orchestrated blackmail campaign targeting his character.
Obi, in a statement on Thursday, said his recent visit to Rome was purely spiritual and not political. “Even my solemn spiritual trip to Rome has been distorted into yet another blackmail campaign by paid merchants intent on spreading falsehoods against me,” he said.
There had been media speculation that Obi met Tinubu abroad to discuss a purported financial scandal tied to Fidelity Bank, where he once served on the board.
Dismissing the allegation, Obi clarified that he has never held a private meeting with the president. “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,” he stated.
Obi also addressed claims linking him to ownership of Fidelity Bank. “For the record, I do not own Fidelity Bank. I have served as Chairman or Director of three banks and financial institutions, one of which is Fidelity,” he explained.
He said Fidelity Bank has more than 500,000 shareholders and no single individual owns a majority stake. Obi accused those behind the allegations of trying to damage his reputation and mislead the public.
He concluded that such attacks are attempts by political opponents and blackmailers to cause unnecessary tension and misinform Nigerians.
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