Peter Obi's Ally Speaks Out as Adeyanju Claims Opposition Leader Offered Him Money During Campaign
- A veteran journalist and columnist, Ike Abonyi, denounced claims by Barrister Deji Adeyanju that presidential hopeful Peter Obi offered him (Adeyanju) money for support
- Abonyi, who said he was present during the meeting which he brokered between Adeyanju and Obi in the run up to the 2023 election, asserted that Obi did not make such offer
- Abonyi stated that Adeyanju is free to do a u-turn in supporting whoever he prefers, depending on what appeals to him, "but should not base that on what is not true”
Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over 9 years of experience covering politics, election, and governance in Nigeria.
FCT, Abuja - A prominent journalist, Ike Abonyi, has dismissed claims by Deji Adeyanju, the human rights activist, that the Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, offered him money for support.
Legit.ng reports that Adeyanju, also a lawyer, accused the former Anambra state governor of attempting to bribe him to secure his political support ahead of the 2023 election.
Source: Twitter
Adeyanju said on Channels Television on Friday morning, August 29, that the former Anambra governor offered him an envelope containing cash during a private meeting, but he rejected it.
Adeyanju recounted:
“We were in a living room. It was like a suite. Then he (Obi) went into a room and came back with an envelope. He said, ‘This is just a small thing, thanks for coming.’ I laughed and told him he didn’t know me. If I wanted to support him, I would have used my own money. I left immediately.”
The activist said he never disclosed the encounter until aides of Obi accused him of demanding N200 million from the opposition leader, a claim he dismissed as “false and malicious.”
Obi's ally punctures Adeyanju's claim
Adeyanju insisted that his allegations were based on fact and dared Obi to follow through with his legal threats, stating, “If he wants to do his worst, let him. Truth is always a defence.”
However, Abonyi, an ally of Obi, dismissed Adeyanju's claims.
Abonyi, who said he personally brokered and attended the meeting between Obi and Adeyanju ahead of the 2023 election, described the activist’s allegations as false.
In a statement released on Friday, August 29, Abonyi explained that Obi never made any monetary or material offer during their three-hour discussion, contrary to Adeyanju’s account.
Vanguard quoted Abonyi as saying:
“I was at the meeting Deji had with Obi and was there all through. None of the things Deji claimed ever happened. No money was offered during or after the meeting, and there was no promise of any to the best of my knowledge."
Alleged intent of Adeyanju-Obi meeting
According to Abonyi, the meeting he orchestrated was intended to explore Adeyanju’s possible candidacy for the AMAC house of representatives seat under the LP, not for inducement.
He added:
“It would be unfair to my conscience as a Christian and a journalist to allow Deji Adeyanju to continue with this false narrative. Obi simply shared his life and political journey as he has always done publicly. Nothing more."
Source: Facebook
Adeyanju sues Obi's ally Ibrahim
Meanwhile, the latest hostility between Adeyanju and Obi's camp follows the presidential hopeful's threat to sue the activist over alleged defamatory publications on social media.
Adeyanju had on Monday, August 25, served Serah Ibrahim, an ally of Obi, a letter to retract all "her defamatory publications" against his wife. Subsequently, Obi threatened Adeyanju with legal action for the latter's controversial comments about his (Obi's) person in recent years.
Obi’s lawyer, Alex Ejesieme (SAN), accused Adeyanju of spreading false and malicious statements against his client, portraying him as corrupt, fraudulent, and a religious bigot.
According to Obi’s legal team, Adeyanju’s posts, which date back to 2022, sought to tarnish Obi’s reputation both locally and internationally.
Read more on Peter Obi:
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- Did Fayose say Peter Obi will sack Tinubu in 2027? Fact emerges
Primate Ayodele predicts Obi's fate
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Primate Elijah Ayodele claimed that Obi cannot emerge victorious in the 2027 presidential election in Nigeria.
In a recent video posted on his official X (formerly Twitter) handle, seen by Legit.ng, the Inri Evangelical Spiritual Church founder predicted doom for Nigeria in the event that the former Anambra state governor becomes the country's leader.
Source: Legit.ng
