Obi dismisses report of British govt’s apology over airport harassment

The Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has dismissed reports of an apology from the British government over his detention by the country’s immigration officials.

The spokesman of the Atiku Abubakar presidential campaign organisation, Daniel Bwala, said on his Twitter handle on Thursday that officials at No.10 Downing Street in London had sent a letter of apology to the former Anambra State governor over his treatment by immigration officials at Heathrow Airport last Friday.

The LP candidate was detained for several hours for alleged impersonation after his plane landed in the British capital on April 7.

Obi dismissed the claim in a statement issued by the Head of Media and Communications of the Obi-Datti Presidential Campaign Council, Diran Onifade, on Thursday afternoon.

The statement read: “We have been receiving inquiries with regards to a so-called apology, purportedly issued by the British Government or any of its agencies, to our Principal, Mr. Peter Obi, in respect of a routine Immigration engagement with him, as he arrived London, for a brief visit, last Friday, the 7th of April.

“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.

“While we continue to examine any dubious or political motive, on the part of the perpetrators of the identity theft, we have every 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 totally focused.”

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