Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) during the February 25 presidential election, has debunked the claim that he financed the burial of the father of a Nigerian journalist and television host, Rufai Oseni.
Obi’s claim was coming some days after the Special Assistant to former President Goodluck Jonathan, Reno Omokri, alleged on his verified social media handle that he funded the funeral of Rufai’s father’s burial.
Omokri shared this on his X account (formerly Twitter) on August 25, with a picture of Obi and Rufai.
He posted, “AriseTV and Mr Rufai Oseni should kindly answer the following question. Did Mr Peter Obi, the Presidential candidate of the Labour Party, fund the funeral of Mr Rufai Oseni’s father by giving him money in cash or via electronic means, either directly or through a third party, in August 2022, and has that influenced Mr Oseni’s open bias in favour of Peter Obi, whereby Mr Oseni used the AriseTV platform as a medium to campaign for and launder the image of Mr Peter Obi, and his undisguised personal animosity towards me for my refusal to support Mr Peter Obi’s Presidential ambition? I counsel them to think very carefully before they answer.”
However, Obi, in his response on Monday via his X account (formerlyTwitter), disclosed that he never sponsored such, adding that it is “a categorical lie.”
He twitted, “There is a recent case where my name has been mentioned in malicious and cheap blackmail against one of Nigeria’s best Television presenters, Mr Rufai Oseni, who has stood sternly for what is right and has challenged me fearlessly on some occasions while speaking truth to power. I have recently been mentioned as bribing Mr Rufai Oseni by financially sponsoring his father’s burial.
“Let me clearly state that this is a definite lie. It is not true, cannot be true and will never be true. Everyone who understands or follows my approach to things will attest that I do not give anyone money to promote my name,” he posted.
He added that he never enticed any journalist to speak or write in his favour.
“I have never and will never monetarily induce any journalist to speak or write in my favour. When I am invited to birthday celebrations or funerals, people know I attend. Countless journalists, media personnel, the less privileged, the wealthy, etc., have all asked me to their occasions, and they will attest to the fact that I honour such invitations, especially when grieving. I have never been to Rufai’s village. Even at the point of writing this, I do not know where he is from.
“One then wonders why people could decide to tarnish other people’s image for no justifiable reason. To those involved in such evil endeavours, I wish them well and pray that God will have mercy on them.”
He, however, called for the country’s rescue from the many challenges plaguing it.
“We should focus more on lifting people out of poverty. Millions of Nigerians do not know where their next meal will come from,” he said.