Akahi News learnt that former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, has launched a blistering attack on Peter Obi over remarks the Labour Party chieftain allegedly made about the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO). The accusation? That Obi attempted to diminish the role of NADECO leaders who opposed military rule in Nigeria.
In a post on social media, the former minister described Obi’s alleged comments about the pro-democracy group as “a crying shame”. But he did not stop there. He went further, making a claim that cuts deep into the memory of Nigeria’s dark years.
“I recall that he worked assidiously for General Abacha whilst our NADECO leaders and footsoldiers resisted him and were being locked up, driven into exile, subjected to the most brutal form of oppression, persecution and torture,” Fani-Kayode said.
The Abacha question that will not go away
Akahi News gathered that Fani-Kayode also criticised the involvement of some politicians in the African Democratic Congress (ADC), including former Senate President David Mark. He alleged that Mark had previously made comments against Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola, the presumed winner of the June 12, 1993 presidential election.
That election, as many Nigerians still remember with bitterness, was annulled by the regime of General Ibrahim Babangida. The annulment triggered years of political unrest, violence, and a struggle that claimed many lives. Families lost fathers. Youths lost futures. Democracy, when it finally came, was paid for in blood.
Fani-Kayode added that many NADECO activists suffered persecution, exile, and other forms of repression during the struggle for democracy. His words carry the weight of someone who was there.
“Many of us were in NADECO and we are living witnesses to what happened. We spoke out, wrote articles, suffered persecution, were locked up, were tortured, were killed and were forced into exile,” he stated.
He said the sacrifices made by pro-democracy activists between 1992 and 1999 should not be dismissed. Not by anyone. Not even by a former governor.
A warning wrapped in patriotic rage
Fani-Kayode urged Obi to refrain from criticising NADECO leaders. His reasoning is simple but powerful: the struggle against military rule came at a heavy cost.
“He should enjoy the democracy and free speech that we have today which others fought and died for between 1992 and 1999,” he said.
Akahi News had earlier reported that the NADECO legacy remains a sensitive topic in Nigerian political discourse. For those who lost loved ones, for those who drank from the cup of exile and torture, the movement is not a talking point. It is a shrine.
Why this matters to every Nigerian voter
Here is the question every Nigerian must quietly ask: When politicians trade accusations about who did what during military rule, are they serving the living or honouring the dead?
Peter Obi has not yet publicly responded to these allegations. If he did make the remarks Fani-Kayode claims, he may need to clarify. If he did not, then the former minister owes an apology. But beyond the personal clash lies a deeper issue.
The democracy Nigerians enjoy today—flawed, noisy, sometimes violent, but still a democracy—was built on the backs of NADECO heroes. Many of them never saw the fruit of their labour. Some died in detention. Others returned from exile to find their properties gone, their careers shattered.
To denigrate that struggle, whether intentionally or carelessly, is not just political naivety. It is a form of historical amnesia. And amnesia, in a country that refuses to properly teach its own history, is a dangerous disease.
The ball is now in Peter Obi’s court. Will he respond? Will he clarify? Or will he let the accusation hang in the air like the unresolved question of June 12 itself? Nigerians are watching. And they do not forget easily.
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Fact summary box:
– Accuser: Femi Fani-Kayode, former Minister of Aviation
– Accused: Peter Obi, Labour Party chieftain
– Allegation: Obi allegedly made remarks diminishing NADECO’s role
– Counter-claim by Fani-Kayode: Obi worked for Abacha while NADECO members suffered
– Also criticised: David Mark (over alleged comments on MKO Abiola)
– Key warning: Sacrifices of 1992–1999 should not be dismissed
– Status: Obi yet to respond publicly
