Peter Odili not my classmate – Obi clarifies role of Rivers ex-gov during school football matches

Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) says his recent remarks in Port Harcourt where he went to commission a project by the administration of Governor Nyesom Wike was wrongly interpreted.

Social media reports said the former Anambra governor on Thursday claimed that he was the classmate of Peter Odili, the former governor of Rivers State, whom he played school football matches with.

Another report said the LP presidential candidate was a six-year-old lad when Mr Odili left Christ the King College in Onitsha.

Clarifying his comment, Mr Obi denied being the classmate of the former Rivers State governor, saying his comment were misconstrued.

“I did not say that former Governor Odili was my classmate, rather I said that he was a great footballer in my school, and we all cherished and had good memories of his football exploits when we got into the school,” the Anambra politician explained in a statement on Saturday. “I was in CKC from 1973 to 1978 and Dr Peter Odili had graduated before I got into the school. He was such a fabulous footballer whose image still loomed large even in our time, especially considering the fact that my Primary School was very close to CKC.

“The Primary School that I attended, Santa Maria School/Holy Trinity School, were both owned by the same Catholic Church that owned Christ the King College (CKC), Onitsha. In fact, both Primary Schools were feeder schools to CKC, and a large number of pupils who passed through the schools ended up in CKC for secondary education.”