Human rights lawyer and activist Deji Adeyanju has accused the Labour Party’s former presidential candidate, Peter Obi, of attempting to bribe him to secure his political support ahead of the 2023 general elections.

Mr Adeyanju said on Channels Television on Friday morning that the former Anambra governor offered him an envelope of cash during a private meeting, but he rejected it. 

“We were in a living room — it was like a suite — then he (Obi) went into a room and came back with an envelope,” Mr Adeyanju recounted. “He said, ‘This is just a small thing, thanks for coming.’ I laughed and told him he didn’t know me. If I wanted to support him, I would have used my own money. I left immediately.”

The activist said he never disclosed the encounter until aides of Mr Obi accused him of demanding N200 million from the Labour Party candidate, a claim he dismissed as “false and malicious.”

Mr Adeyanju said Mr Obi’s persistence in trying to reach him came after his public commentaries in 2022, which initially appeared favourable to the opposition figure. 

“The idea of Obi’s candidacy excited me,” he said, recalling that he once urged Atiku Abubakar to step down for Mr Obi and encouraged Rabiu Kwankwaso to deputise him. “But I told Obi to his face that I was not working with anybody.”

He added that he confronted Mr Obi over allegations of corruption and abuse of office during his governorship, including claims that he invested Anambra’s resources in a company linked to his family. 

“I was flabbergasted by his defence,” Mr Adeyanju said. “His justification disgusted me.”

Beyond the bribery claim, Mr Adeyanju described the politician as a “political prostitute” who parades himself as a messiah while switching parties for convenience. 

“Didn’t he swear never to leave APGA? Yet, he left. Today, he has one leg in PDP, another in ADC, and is still in the Labour Party. That’s a political prostitute,” he said.

He also berated Mr Obi’s radical supporters known as “Obidients,” accusing them of being intolerant and toxic during the election season. “

The lawyer added, “We cannot have a man who leads a mob that terrorises people online and cannot tolerate criticism, who calls people all sorts of names. Anybody who cannot support their candidate is seen as an enemy of Nigeria or has been paid to do so. That is not democracy.”

Mr Adeyanju insisted that his allegations were based on fact and dared Mr Obi to follow through with his legal threats, stating, “If he wants to do his worst, let him. Truth is always a defence.” 

However, Yunusa Tanko, the coordinator of the Obidient Movement, denied the allegations that Mr Obi offered money to the lawyer.

“How can a man who does not give shishi offer you money? It is not right when people start calling leaders names just to get traction. Peter Obi does not bribe people. No, he doesn’t do that,” said Mr Tanko.

He added, “Of course, Peter Obi finances his programmes, he does that. But to say he bribed somebody to do something for him, Peter Obi will never do it.”

He also maintained that Mr Obi’s supporters are law-abiding citizens and the politician does not encourage anyone to insult others.

Meanwhile, the latest escalation follows Mr Obi’s threat to sue Mr Adeyanju for alleged defamation after the latter filed a lawsuit against one of the politician’s aides, Serah Ibrahim, for disparaging his wife.