I did not claim that Peter Odili was a classmate of mine, Obi

Peter Odili, a former governor of Rivers state, was his high school classmate.

Obi had stated, “Peter Odili was my senior at (CKC); we played football together,” at a project commissioning event hosted by Nyesom Wike in Rivers. We will have lost that day if Odili is unable to play.

“Everyone is familiar with my school and my classmates. Not some folks, where nobody is familiar with their classmates or former institutions.

Critics have denounced him on social media networks. They claimed that whereas Obi was accepted into CKC in 1973 and graduated in 1978, Odili was born in 1948 and completed high school in 1967.

Evidently, Peter Obi was admitted to CKC after Odili had graduated.

In a statement he gave to Vanguard in response to comments made by others, Obi claimed that his words had been misconstrued.

In his own words: “Some individuals have misinterpreted my remarks from my visit to Port Harcourt. Dr. Peter Odili, a former governor of the state of Rivers, and I attended Christ the King College (CKC) Onitsha as students and are now members of the school’s alumni.

“I didn’t say former Governor Odili was a classmate; rather, I stated he was a fantastic football player in my school, and we all admired and had fond memories of his football accomplishments when we first entered the school.

“Dr. Peter Odili graduated from CKC before I enrolled there in 1973, and I attended there from 1973 until 1978. He was such a great football player, and his fame persisted even in our day, which is especially remarkable given that my elementary school was located not far from CKC.

“The same Catholic Church that owns Christ the King College (CKC), Onitsha, also owned the primary school I attended, Santa Maria School/Holy Trinity School. In fact, both Primary Schools served as CKC feeder schools, and many students who attended both schools later enrolled in CKC for secondary education.