Presidential candidate of Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 election, Peter Obi has debunked allegations that he monetarily induced broadcaster, Rufai Oseni to support him.
Obi spoke through a statement published on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Monday.
Former presidential aide, Reno Omokri had claimed that Obi sponsored the burial of Oseni’s dad, daring the journalist and his employer, Arise TV, to deny it.
“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 usee 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,” Omokri tweeted on August 25.
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But in his rebuttal, Obi described the allegation as “malicious and cheap blackmail” and a “categorical lie”.
“Ordinarily, I do not get involved in name-calling and mud-slinging. Neither do I attack people nor try to defame their personalities in the course of my political journey.
“I have also avoided replying to cheap, wicked or malicious blackmail publicly or privately in the same irresponsible manner that they are thrown at me.
“Anyone who has followed my corporate and political life knows that I always stay on issues, with my focus on finding solutions to societal challenges and ameliorating the suffering of the people.
“I do however need to clarify a few issues, especially since a third party is involved. There is a recent case where my name has been mentioned in a 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 to have bribed Mr. Rufai Oseni by financially sponsoring the burial of his father.
“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 that I do attend. Countless journalists, media personnel, the less privileged, the wealthy etc., have all invited me to their occasions, and they will attest to the fact that I honour such invitations, especially when people are 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.”