The All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council has demanded that Peter Obi withdraw from the 2027 presidential race if he cannot disprove claims that his administration left financial liabilities behind. This demand comes after the Anambra State Government disclosed loans obtained during Obi's eight-year tenure as governor. The council's spokesman, Dele Alake, made the demand in a statement on Monday, citing fresh disclosures by the Anambra State Government.
According to the Anambra State Government, Obi's administration contracted external loans amounting to $123.77 million during his tenure. The state government stated that eight external borrowing facilities connected to projects in areas such as healthcare, education, erosion control, and malaria intervention remained outstanding after Obi left office. The outstanding balance on the loans was put at about $92.35 million as of June 30, 2026, valued at about N127.4 billion.
Peter Obi has consistently rejected the allegation that he left Anambra with unpaid financial obligations. In a statement issued earlier in the dispute, he said his administration inherited historical arrears and worked to clear them during his tenure. Obi claimed that his administration systematically liquidated historical gratuities and arrears dating back several years, amounting to over N35 billion.
The APC campaign council questioned Obi's claim that he left the state without a debt burden, citing the records presented by the Anambra Government as evidence that his administration left liabilities behind. The council argued that borrowing by a government was not necessarily wrong, particularly where the funds were used for development projects. However, it questioned Obi's claim of leaving the state with a clean bill of health.
The Anambra Government has maintained that it is not opposed to borrowing where loans are used for legitimate development purposes. The state government argued that the existence of the loans contradicts Obi's claim that he left no debt obligations for subsequent administrations. The state government also said the loans were still being serviced, with deductions being made from the state's monthly Federation Account Allocation Committee revenue.
Another point of disagreement is the alleged N2.13 billion ecological fund which Obi said he left untouched for his successor. The Anambra Government disputed the claim, stating that the account identified by Obi was not an ecological fund account but an Internally Generated Revenue Consolidated Revenue Account. The commissioner for Information and Value Reorientation, Law Mefor, challenged Obi to explain where the money he claimed to have left for the state was kept.
The APC campaign council ultimately urged Obi to abandon his presidential ambition in line with the pledge he made to withdraw if evidence showed that his administration left liabilities behind. The council said, "Indeed, if Peter Obi has any honour, he must resign from the 2027 presidential race forthwith, in keeping with his promise to end his run if it is proven that his administration left behind liabilities in Anambra."
Key points
- The APC Presidential Campaign Council demanded Peter Obi's withdrawal from the 2027 presidential race over financial liabilities.
- The Anambra State Government disclosed loans obtained during Obi's tenure as governor, which the APC council cited as evidence of financial liabilities.
- Peter Obi has consistently rejected allegations of leaving unpaid financial obligations in Anambra State.
