Yemi Obafemi
Former presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has strongly denied recent media reports alleging he held a secret meeting with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in Rome to discuss a purported ₦225 billion debt crisis involving Fidelity Bank.
In a statement on Thursday, Obi described the claims as “baseless, malicious, and entirely false,” dismissing them as part of a larger campaign of blackmail orchestrated by individuals paid to propagate negative narratives against him.
“It’s obvious that the biggest business for blackmailers now is talking about Peter Obi from every negative perspective,” he said.
Addressing the rumors surrounding Fidelity Bank, Obi firmly denied ownership, explaining that while he had served as Chairman/Director of three financial institutions in his career—including Fidelity Bank—the bank is publicly owned by over 500,000 shareholders, with no majority stakeholder.
Obi clarified that his recent visit to Rome was a solemn spiritual journey and not for political or financial discussions. According to him, he was in the Vatican on May 9 to attend the lying-in-state of Pope Francis and later participated in the inauguration Mass of Pope Leo XIV.
He acknowledged a brief encounter with President Tinubu at Saint Peter’s Basilica, describing it as a respectful exchange of greetings with other dignitaries present. “I have never sought an audience with, nor met, President Tinubu since he assumed office, except for about a one-minute meeting at the arena of Saint Peter’s Basilica,” Obi stated.
Obi also condemned the actions of those he called “blackmailers-in-chief,” accusing them of deliberately spreading falsehoods to cause distress and harm to ordinary Nigerians.
“To those peddling these falsehoods and engaging in blackmail, I offer a simple prayer: May God grant you the virtues of gratitude and understanding to know that we came here with nothing and will go with nothing, that they cannot profit from their evil ways,” he said.
