Peter Obi Refutes Claims of Secret Rome Meeting with President Tinubu Over Fidelity Bank’s ₦225 Billion Debt

Peter Obi, the former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, has publicly dismissed allegations suggesting he visited Rome to meet President Bola Tinubu regarding an alleged ₦225 billion debt connected to Fidelity Bank.

Obi addressed the matter in a statement released on Thursday, labeling the story as part of an ongoing smear campaign orchestrated to tarnish his public image.

“Clearly, blackmailing Peter Obi from every negative angle seems to have become a booming business for some,” Obi said. “Even my private spiritual journey to Rome has now been manipulated and weaponized into a fresh round of blackmail by hired agents intent on spinning false narratives.”

A recent news publication had claimed that Obi met Tinubu secretly in Rome to request intervention in a supposed financial controversy surrounding Fidelity Bank, a financial institution where Obi once held a position on the board.

However, Obi — who previously served as the Governor of Anambra State — strongly denied ever organizing or attending any closed-door discussions with the president concerning the bank.

“Since President Tinubu assumed office, I have never sought a meeting with him, nor have I engaged in any private conversation,” he clarified. “The only interaction I’ve had with him was a brief one-minute encounter at the Saint Peter’s Basilica in Rome during the inauguration Mass of Pope Leo XIV. I was seated behind him and extended a courteous greeting, as did other attendees.”

Obi further responded to allegations concerning his association with Fidelity Bank, emphasizing that he does not own the institution.

“The self-declared ‘blackmailer-in-chief’ and other purveyors of lies have gone on to claim that I own Fidelity Bank. Let it be known — I do not,” Obi declared. “Throughout my professional life, I have served as Chairman or Director for three financial institutions, Fidelity being one of them. The bank is jointly owned by more than 500,000 Nigerians — none of whom possess a majority stake. The goal of this blackmail seems to be to inflict distress on these hard-working citizens.”