Reno Omokri, a former aide of President Goodluck Jonathan, has said that Peter Obi, the Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, would have been jailed if he were a South African or a European because of his corrupt practices as governor of Anambra State.
Omokri said on his Twitter handle that as governor, Obi corruptly enriched himself by cleverly investing State funds in his Fidelity Bank, which yielded interests for the Bank and, by extension, for him.
According to Omokri, Obi’s investment of State funds in his Fidelity Bank and a brewery he had financial interests in would have landed him in jail if he did such in South Africa.
He said Obi got away with those corrupt enrichment situations because he is in Nigeria.
He also said European laws would have forced a closure and confiscation of the businesses if Obi made such investments as a European.
Omokri, who was reacting to the tirade by Obi supporters over the arrest and arraignment of Seun Kuti for slapping a police officer, said Obi supporters were gloating over Seun’s fate because he openly refused to support their candidate for the February 25 presidential election. He stated that though Seun acted wrongly, the gloating by Obi supporters was unnecessary, adding that Seun reserved the right to support whichever candidate he liked.
Omokri further took a swipe at Obi’s supporters for presenting him as uncorrupt, stating that Obi is as corrupt as all others.
Omokri noted that Obi did not leave a clean sheet in Anambra state, adding that investing state funds in businesses he had interests in made him liable to the charge of corruption and imprisonment. Stating that Obi could even be more corrupt than his followers are forcing others to believe.
Omokri said it was distasteful for Obi’s supporters to reject a discourse on his actions as governor in Anambra state. He said that rather than open themselves to intelligent discourse on Obi’s time as governor, his supporters prefer to insult and denounce those who seek the truth.
Omokri said: “Since the slapping incident involving Seun Kuti and the policeman, which I condemn, Obidients have been celebrating what they see as Seun’s downfall, which they see as divine retribution for not supporting Peter Obi. But the downfall of a man is not the end of his life.
“One publicly said it served Seun Kuti right for not supporting the purest, cleanest, and most capable candidate.
“This idea that Peter Obi is an incorruptible man is false. Peter Obi is at least as corrupt, or even more so, than Tinubu, the known drug lord. This man saved the equivalent of $50 million of Anambra state money in his own Bank. Fidelity Bank. A bank in which he had significant interests – a bank where he was a former chairman.
“In a year, that money will yield at least $5 million when invested in the S&P 500 (likely more). Much of that $5 million minimum annual yield would be Peter Obi’s personal profit. And that is every year. So, imagine how much money Peter Obi personally made in eight years as a Governor from the conflict of interest in investing state funds in his private Bank. No wonder he boasted of being richer than President Biden!
“And then you guys are here, rightly pillorying Tinubu for benefitting from Lagos’s money through Alphabeta. That is even better than what Peter Obi did. There was an attempt to cover up Alphabeta’s corruption. Peter Obi did not attempt to cover his. It was blatant!
“And they know they have no defence against this corruption. That is why when you bring it up, they immediately shift away from the issues and insult you, so you can leave the issue and get angry or accuse you of being anti-Igbo.
“When I was donating millions to Onitsha Market fire victims, I was not anti-Igbo. When I fought Buhari for eight years for not being fair to Ndi’Igbo, I was not anti-Igbo. When I wrote nine columns in the last six years praising the Igbo spirit, I was not Igbo-phobic. I WAS NOT ANTI-IGBO when I gave out ₦2.3 million as palliatives to Nigerians (of which 38% of the recipients were Igbo).
“Only in a country like Nigeria could Peter Obi have gotten away with what he did in Anambra. If a South African regional leader paid state funds into a bank he had interests in, he would have joined President Jacob Zuma in prison.
“If you tried that in Europe and America, the state will even seize that business, and you will be banned from politics forever after paying restitution. That was pure and open corruption. And if a Hausa or Fulani core Northern Muslim did it, the Southern press would have excoriated him.
“The man further went on to invest Anambra state funds in a beer brewery in which he had interests. That is Fidel Marcos-level corruption.
“If I have lied, I challenge Peter Obi to sue me. You can gaslight the rest of Nigeria, but certainly not me. Enough with the propaganda. It is getting sickening.
“Seun Kuti made a mistake. I accept that. But he is still a great Nigerian from an even greater family that has served Nigeria more sacrificially and honestly than Peter Obi and his lineage.
“In terms of education, record in office and corruption, Peter Obi was the least qualified out of the quartet that also included Rabiu Kwankwaso, Waziri Atiku Abubakar, and Bola Tinubu.
“You guys were gaslit. They planned all of these things. They pulled the wool over your eyes. Peter Obi CANNOT survive scrutiny. Not at all. He is as corrupt as they come! Meet me in court”.
