Obi detained and questioned at Heathrow Airport over impersonation suspicions

FORMER Anambra State governor and Nigerian Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi was recently detained and harassed by immigration officers at Heathrow Airport in the UK who were investigating impersonation allegations

On Saturday February 25, Nigerians went to the polls to elect a new president and the Independent National Election Commission (Inec) subsequently declared Asiwaju Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), the winner. Among the other main gladiators in the contest were Alhaji Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Governor Peter Obi of the Labour Party and former Kano State governor Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso of the New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP).

Inec chairman Professor Mahmood Yakubu, who served as the returning officer for the presidential election, declared Asiwaju Tinubu the victor of the contest with 8,794,726 votes, defeating Alhaji Abubakar of the PDP, who came second with 6,984,520 votes and Governor Obi who came third with 6,101,533 votes. However, the PDP and Labour Party have refused to accept the results.

Under pressure over the debacle, Governor Obi decided to fly to the UK to get away from all the pressures at home but on arriving in London was detained. It is not yet clear if Governor Obi's travails had anything to do with the elections or were at the behest of the ruling APC, who might have furnished the UK authorities with false information about him.

Labour Party spokesman Diran Onifade, said: “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.”

He added that the former Anambra State governor was detained and questioned for a duplication offence and suggested that someone must have been impersonating Obi in London. Governor Obi arrived at Heathrow Airport in London on Good Friday April 7 and joined the queue for the necessary protocols when he was accosted by immigration official who handed him a detention note and told him to step aside.

Mr Onifade said: “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 indeed Nigeria, where he currently and indisputably remains the conscience of the people.”

He explained that the immigration officials who were also taken aback at the reaction of the people were forced to reveal to those present that Governor Obi was being questioned. Mr Onifade asserted that 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 Governor Obi’s name.

Last week, the Nigerian government accused Governor Obi and his running mate Datti Baba-Ahmed of treason for allegedly inciting people to violence over the outcome of the February 25 presidential election. However, Mr Onifade has accused the Nigerian government of de-marketing Governor Obi by accusing him of treason.

Mr Onifade added: “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.”