The Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party in the February 25 general election, Peter Obi, was said to have been detained in London, United Kingdom, where he celebrated Easter.
According to Daily Trust, the head, Obi-Datti Media, Diran Onifade, revealed this in a statement on Wednesday, as he explained that Obi was harassed by London immigration officials and placed for detention but for the spontaneous reaction of Nigerians at Heathrow Airport.
According to him, the former Anambra state governor arrived the Heathrow Airport in London from Nigeria on Good Friday, April 7, and joined the queue for the necessary Airport protocols when he was accosted by immigration official who handed him a detention note and told him to step aside.
Onifade stated, “He was questioned for a long time and it was very strange for a man who lived for over a decade in that country.
“Since Obi’s face was already an international frame, especially for Nigerians, Africans home, and in Diaspora who are likely to be Obidients, the people quickly raised their voices wondering why he was being delayed.
“The immigration officials who were also taken aback at the reaction of the people were forced to reveal that Obi was being questioned for a ‘DUPLICATION offense’ meaning that someone has been impersonating him in London.
“The high implication of the offense is that the impersonator could be committing all kinds of weighty crimes and other dubious acts and it would be recorded in Obi’s name.”
He added that since the impersonator is still at large, the scenario is unimaginable as Obi could be implicated in a series of forbidden acts and even be framed in a manner that could be a huge embarrassment to him, his family, his party, the obidient movement, and Nigeria, where he currently and indisputably remains the conscience of the people.
Onifade also recalled that Obi has been under all kinds of attack, since the February 25th, 2023 Presidential election in which he put up an outstanding showing coming third out of 18 contestants as announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission, though his supporters and many other election watchers including international observers believe very strongly that he won the election but was manipulated out.
“Since he was told to go to court if he feels strongly about the election which all international monitors chorused were flawed and full of imperfections and he accepted, there have been severe attacks on him from all corners.
“Even the Federal Government who directed him to go to court even despatched the Minister of Information Lai Mohammad to the United States to attempt at de-marketing him and accused him of treason.
“Obi’s telephone line was also bugged when they were possibly looking for information to portray him badly before a section of the country who had voted for him massively.
“As if they were not getting the desired results of denting his image, and possibly placing the traducers under a heavier conscience load, they tried to persuade him to leave the country and go take a rest.
“It is also not impossible that those urging him to leave the country may have planted the impersonators ostensibly to tar the Eagle’s immaculate appearance.
“The Obi-Datti Media office will like to therefore assure all persons of goodwill especially the Obidients that the Rock is not deterred as he is ready to suffer the pain and remain even more determined to pursue whichever path his creator destined for him in Nigeria,” Onifade added.
