Oseloka Obi, son of Labour Party presidential candidate Mr. Peter Obi, has issued a strongly worded statement dismissing recent online attacks and false narratives targeted at him, describing them as distractions from Nigeria’s pressing challenges.
In an open letter to Nigerians, Oseloka said he had long refrained from responding to “vitriol, scorn, and suspicion” directed at him but decided to speak out after what he described as persistent and malicious fabrications.
“Because of my father’s involvement in Nigerian politics, there has been a persistent curiosity — and, at times, malicious obsession — with me,” he wrote. “I have no social media presence and no interest in maintaining one, so I rarely correct these falsehoods. But perhaps it is time I address them.”
He stressed that his father, not himself, is the one in politics and warned against attempts to politicise his private life. “To assume that my life or choices are somehow political statements is a flawed and childish calculation. It reveals more about the pettiness of those spreading such narratives than it does about me or my father,” he said.
Oseloka, a professional actor, also clarified misconceptions about his career path, noting that despite his father’s background as a businessman and economist, he chose a different field in theatre and filmmaking. He rejected insinuations of nepotism, declaring: “I was raised to know that my father’s wealth is not mine, and that I must build my own life.”
Addressing doctored claims based on his photos, he said: “These are not revelations. They are not exposés. They are simply misrepresentations; fiction spun from pictures. What is being circulated is gossip.”
He further argued that the fixation on his private life diverts attention from Nigeria’s urgent issues. “Our nation still struggles with insecurity, a weakened economy, crumbling infrastructure, failing healthcare, and politicians who steal from the people they swore to serve. And yet, for some, the priority is to spread gossip about who Peter Obi’s son appears with in a photo. This is a distraction from the real crises that matter to all Nigerians.”
Pledging support for his father, he wrote: “My father has my vote, not because he is my father, but because he is the right man for the job. If others wish to go low, invent scandals, or attack me to wound him, they are free to do so. But we will go high, and we will continue to focus on the future of Nigeria.”
He concluded by reiterating his commitment to values instilled in him since childhood: honesty, hard work, and service to others.
