AN X user, @Uptownoflagos, has claimed that Margaret Brownson Obi (née Usen), wife of 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, is among the board of directors of Fidelity Bank.
He made the claim on February 7 while reacting to a video showing Margaret wearing a necklace alleged to be worth $1.2 million and other jewellery that had exorbitant prices.
The video triggered online reactions because Peter Obi has, in several public statements, criticised politicians and people in offices for what he describes as extravagant or wasteful spending.
READ : No, photo of Peter Obi serving food was not taken at Digital Media Summit
Some social media users interpreted the jewellery as contradictory to his public stance and began amplifying claims about her wealth and alleged board position.
In her defence, the X user posted :
“Do you know she sits on the board of Fidelity bank by her own right?
Do you also know she runs her own companies in the UK since the 1990s?
You think this is RAT who has never been known to have run any business or done any non political Job in her life yet she’s a billionaire?”
As of February 11, the post has generated 488,000 views, 2,522 likes, and 608 reposts.
CLAIM
The post claims that Margaret Brownson Obi (née Usen) sits on the board of Fidelity Bank by her own right.
FINDINGS
Findings by The FactCheckHub show that the claim is FALSE.
Margaret is widely known as the wife of former Anambra State governor and Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi. Peter Obi himself previously served as Chairman of Fidelity Bank Plc where he became the youngest chairman of a Nigerian bank at 34 as reported by Business Post Nigeria.
However, there is no public record indicating that his wife held a board position at the bank.
The FactCheckHub reviewed Fidelity’s annual reports from 2012 to 2024, and based on publicly available reports, corporate governance disclosures, and official announcements past and current, Margaret is not listed as a member of the bank’s board of directors.
READ ALSO : Video does NOT show Kwankwaso “begging” Obi for VP ticket ahead of 2027 election
Recent and past board members include Mustafa Chike-Obi (former Chairman), Amaka Onwughalu (current Chairman), Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe (Managing Director/CEO), and other executive and non-executive directors.
However, no official corporate records support the claim that she sits on the board of Fidelity Bank or has run her own companies in the UK since the 1990s.
VERDICT
The claim that Margaret is on the board of directors in Fidelity bank is False. There is no evidence in Fidelity Bank Plc’s official board records, past or present, showing that she is or has ever been a member of its board of directors.
Seasoned writer and literary curator, Zainab Abdulrasaq is a factchecker for The FactCheckHub in an effort to combat information disorder. She can be reached on IG @blackbookishgirl or zabdulrasaq@icirnigeria.org
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