Israel Umoh
The humiliation of Peter Obi, the Presidential candidate of Labour Party, by immigration officials at Heathrow Airport, London has been blamed on lack of protocol, investigation by Straightnews has shown.
Obi who was third on February 25, 2023 Presidential election in Nigeria was apprehended and detained for hours at the Heathrow airport, by immigration officials for alleged impersonation.
A reliable source close to aviation in Nigeria told Straightnews that Obi’s superlative performance in the concluded election stunned political bookmakers and analysts, throwing him up as a notable political figure and person of interest even in the international community.
‘‘As such, he should not have carried himself as a mere political Lilliputian or a former Anambra State governor anytime he travels out to avoid embarrassing himself and the country he desires to lead.
‘‘Mr. Peter Obi in currently challenging the outcome of the 2023 Presidential election at the Court of Appeal, Abuja, Nigeria with a firm belief that he won the election and should be declared winner. Before Obi left the shores of Nigeria, he should have notified appropriate authorities in the State House Abuja and the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs of his impending trip and possibly future itinerary so they could have informed the Nigerian Mission in the UK to grant him due protocols. After all, he is assigned high-powered DSS details while in Nigeria. This service was not available to him until he became standard bearer of the Labour Party, a third force at the last election.
”An incidence in November 2011 at the Heathrow airport is recalled that involved the late Dr. Alex Ekwueme, a former Vice President of Nigeria. He travelled to the UK aboard British Airways flight but apparently had not sought protocol service from the Nigerian Mission in London. He was delayed clearance at the boarder control desk.
‘‘There would have been no room for Obi to join the queue as an ordinary passenger in the airport for security checks and clearance. The Embassy would have saved him from some checks and embarrassment thereby helping to protect his personality and the image of the country.’’
According to the source, ‘‘A situation where Obi left Nigeria for London without such information and perhaps he arrived alone gave the security officials gnawing riddles to doubt the man who is like a political demagogue in his country.
‘‘The security men could have construed his visit a risk and saw him as an impostor. To confirm the true identity of the actual person, they decided to detain him for questioning.
”Mr Peter Obi has come under several subterranean threats lately in Nigeria especially social media and with a large following that Jagaban Borgu, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu enjoys in the UK especially from his ethnic Yoruba nationals it will be unwise for Obi’s presence in UK soil to go unnoticed.
”Many questions might have rung out from the security circle in London before he was arrested and detained. Is he the real person or an impostor? Why is he coming without protocol befitting of his political status? Why is he coming alone or is he sneaking into the country for any mischief? Is he coming to campaign against the United Kingdom government or his political enemies in Nigeria without formal authorisation?’’ the source fired supposed questions.
