Nigerian human rights activist, Deji Adeyanju, has alleged that the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, attempted to bribe him in the lead-up to the elections.
Adeyanju made this claim on Friday during a live appearance on Channels Television while responding to Obi’s threat to take legal action against him over alleged defamatory remarks.
According to the activist, the Labour Party candidate sought several meetings with him during the heated campaign season. He eventually granted one of the requests, but the outcome, he said, left him “disgusted.”
“Yes, in the wake of the 2023 election, Obi persistently sought to meet me. When we finally met, after I had raised issues about corruption allegations and misuse of state resources, he tried to hand me an envelope, saying it was just a small token. I rejected it immediately,” Adeyanju revealed.
He added that his interest in Obi’s candidacy at the time was not rooted in partisan loyalty but in the desire for opposition unity against the ruling party. However, he claimed Obi’s attitude toward corruption allegations and alleged family business investments pushed him away.
Adeyanju stated that he walked away from the meeting, emphasizing that his activism was built on principles, not monetary inducements.
Meanwhile, Obi, through his lawyer, Alex Ejesieme (Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN), issued a letter of demand to Adeyanju over alleged falsehoods published on social media. The legal team accused the activist of “consistently spreading malicious claims intended to brand Obi as corrupt and intolerant.”
This latest controversy has further heightened political debates ahead of 2027, where Obi remains a strong figure in opposition politics.
okay.ng reports that the feud between Obi and Adeyanju has sparked renewed conversations about the intersection of money, politics, and activism in Nigeria’s democracy.
