Peter Obi NOT a member of Pyrates Confraternity, says aide

Valentine Obienyem, media aide of Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), says the former governor is not a member of the National Association of Seadogs (NAS), better known as the Pyrates Confraternity.

Obienyem responded to the claims of the membership of the LP presidential candidate in a terse text message on Monday.

“Not at all,” the media aide said after he was asked to respond to trending social media posts suggesting that Obi belongs to the confraternity.

In a now-deleted Facebook post, one Fejiro Oliver, who claimed to be a member of the association, described Obi as a “dedicated Pyrate who has led by the tenets we were baptised with”.

“I have watched the trending video of the revered and worldwide adored Pyrates Confraternity video, a beloved Association that I’m proud to belong to, where they ruled out Bola Ahmed Tinubu as a candidate in our ongoing convention taking place in Lagos State,” the post had read.

“As customary with the fraternity to use songs to pass messages to society, towards condemning or supporting individuals, government or policies, I find this particular song in bad taste, especially with the way an uninformed member posted it on social media.

“Yes, Peter Obi is one of us, a dedicated Pyrate who has led by the tenets we were baptised with. He has always promoted the ideals of Pyracy during his days as a Governor and has contributed to the frat as a whole.

“It is proper we support one of our own to ascend the number position in Nigeria after getting the number two in Namadi Sambo. We do know that with Peter Obi as President, the just society that we want will be achieved and the ills militating against a just society that we fight will be reduced.

“While it is in our inner consciousness to gyrate towards one of our very best to be President, it is improper to promote it publicly.

“In PDP and APC do we have many men who are time tested seadogs, men in very high places and the best where they are.

“We cannot publicly disown these men who support Tinubu their whole life or will die for Atiku Abubakar to emerge as President for Peter Obi.

“Peter Obi is better but moderation is also everything.”