The Anambra State Government has challenged former Governor Peter Obi over his decision to seek the presidency in 2027, accusing him of leaving financial liabilities behind. In a post on its official X account, the government questioned Obi over his previous challenge to critics to provide evidence that his administration left Anambra in debt. The government claimed Obi left office in 2014 with heavier arrears and accused him of deception.
The dispute between Obi and the Anambra State Government centers on the financial record of his administration, which lasted from 2006 to 2013. The state government released details of loans obtained during Obi's tenure, totaling $123.77 million. Eight external borrowing facilities connected to projects in healthcare, education, and erosion control remained outstanding after Obi left office, with an outstanding balance of about $92.35 million as of June 30, 2026.
The All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council has also criticized Obi, asking him to withdraw from the 2027 presidential race if he cannot disprove the allegations. APC PCC spokesman Dele Alake, also the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, said Obi had portrayed his administration as financially prudent but had not provided evidence to support his claims. Obi has rejected the allegations, maintaining that his administration inherited substantial arrears and worked to clear them during his tenure.
Obi claimed his administration systematically liquidated historical gratuities and arrears dating back several years, amounting to over N35 billion. He also insisted that his administration left the state without outstanding salaries, pensions, gratuities, or debts to contractors for completed and certified projects. Obi had challenged his critics to produce evidence to contradict his position, saying he would stop campaigning if anyone could establish anything to the contrary.
The Anambra Government and the APC campaign council argue that the loan records amount to evidence that Obi's administration left financial obligations for subsequent governments. The APC PCC maintains that borrowing is not wrong if used for development, but the existence of outstanding borrowing contradicts Obi's claim that he handed over the state without debt obligations. The loans were associated with projects including the Malaria Control Booster Project and the State Education Programme Investment Project.
Anambra Commissioner for Information and Value Orientation, Law Mefor, argued that the nature or purpose of a loan did not change the fact that it remained a financial obligation. Mefor also disputed Obi's claim concerning an ecological fund of about N2.13 billion, which Obi said he left for his successor. The state government obtained a certified statement of the account and found no evidence of an N2.13 billion balance or an inflow of that amount from 2011 to the present.
The dispute has also extended to claims concerning workers' salaries during Obi's tenure. Alake cited a memorandum dated April 25, 2006, which he said was written by Obi's then Chief of Staff, Chuks Ileogbunam, concerning the payment of workers at the Anambra State Water Corporation. The APC PCC used the issue to challenge Obi's earlier pledge that he would resign if workers were not paid as and when due.
Key points
- The Anambra State Government has challenged Peter Obi over his 2027 presidential bid, accusing him of leaving financial liabilities behind.
- Obi has rejected the allegations, maintaining that his administration inherited substantial arrears and worked to clear them during his tenure.
- The dispute centers on the financial record of Obi's administration, which lasted from 2006 to 2013.
