The United Kingdom, UK Government has apologised to the presidential candidate of the Nigerian Labour Party in the just-concluded elections, Mr Peter Obi, over his illegal detention and poor treatment at Heathrow Airport in London last week.
The apology was tendered after a British immigration official admitted he wrongly handed Mr. Obi a detention note in a search of a man who impersonated him to commit perjury, forgery, and identity theft in the country.
British authorities said the uncomplimentary treatment meted out to the former Governor of Anambra State was "completely unacceptable".
"Frankly, the Immigration Official's action has been appalling and we are sorry," Immigration authorities apologised.
However, the Labour Party,LP, yesterday said that its flag-bearer in the February 25 presidential poll, Peter Obi is not aware of any apology purportedly issued by the British Government or any of its agencies regarding an incident involving the former Anambra State governor at the Heathrow Airport on April 7, 2023.
"We would like to state emphatically that we are not aware of any such apology, and have not issued any statement whatsoever, in that regard," said the Head of the Obi-Datti Media, Diran Onifade.
Obi was reportedly detained and interrogated for hours by immigration officials at Heathrow Airport in London on April 7, 2023 for committing several alleged financial crimes only to find out that he was being impersonated.
The Head of Obi-Datti Media Office, Diran Onifade, also confirmed the development in a statement issued on Wednesday in Abuja, the nation's capital.
The Obi-Datti media office said the former Governor of Anambra State was wrongly detained over offences allegedly committed by an impostor who is still at large.
The statement added that the impostor of Obi may commit various crimes that would lead to the arrest of the LP flagbearer in the United Kingdom for duplication.
The statement read in part: "The Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi just back from London, United Kingdom where he celebrated Easter, has confirmed that he was harassed by London immigration officials and placed in detention but for the spontaneous reaction of Nigerians at Heathrow Airport.
"Obi-Datti Media office can confirm that the LP Presidential candidate in the February 25 Presidential poll arrived at the Heathrow Airport in London from Nigeria on Good Friday, April 7, 2023, and joined the queue for the necessary Airport protocols when he was accosted by an immigration official who handed him a detention note and told him to step aside. 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 offence 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.
"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."
The Obi-Datti Media office added that since their candidate approached the court to seek redress over alleged irregularities and flaws of the February 25 presidential election, Obi has been under all kinds of attacks, adding that it was not surprising that he was detained for hours in the UK.
It stated, however, that Obi is back in the country and remain resolute as he is ready to suffer the pain and remain even more determined to pursue his "stolen mandate".
It added: "Obi-Datti Media office recalls that our principal has been under all kinds of attack, since the February 25th, 2023 Presidential election in which as the standard bearer of the Labour Party, he put up an outstanding showing coming third out of 18 contestants as announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, even 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 which 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's also not impossible that those urging him to leave the country may have planted the impersonators ostensibly to tar the Eagle's immaculate appearance.
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"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."
Obi not aware of British govt apology --LP
Onifade, in his statement, also expressed confidence in the ability of the British authorities to resolve the matter to a conclusion.
"Mr. Peter Obi and the LP/PCC have since moved on from the incident and continue to be focused, on the legal processes before the Election Petition Tribunal towards the recovery of our mandate, which we are firmly convinced, was overwhelmingly expressed by voters, in the Presidential election of February 25th," he added.
Onifade had disclosed that Obi was "harassed" and "detained" by immigration officers at Heathrow Airport, United Kingdom for a duplication offense which suggests that someone has been impersonating Obi in London.
The incident was said to have occurred when Obi celebrated the Easter festivities in London. The former governor was also said to have been "rescued" by his followers known as Obidients who were present at the airport.
The British government has not issued any statement on the matter.
Attempt by our Correspondent to get the British High Commission to comment on the incident proved abortive as the Spokesman of the Commission said they don't comment on such things.
