Peter Obi Anambra debt: The controversy over the financial liabilities allegedly left behind by former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi has intensified, with the Presidency challenging him to honour a pledge to withdraw from the 2027 presidential race if his claims about the state’s finances are disproved.
Peter Obi, former Governor of Anambra State and 2023 presidential candidate. Photo: X | Peter Obi
The latest development followed fresh statements from the Anambra State Government disputing Obi’s account of the financial position of the state when he left office.
Presidency Challenges Peter Obi Over Anambra Debt Claims
Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, reacted to the dispute in a post on X on Wednesday.
According to PUNCH, Onanuga said Obi had previously claimed that he left Anambra State without outstanding debt and had indicated that he would stop his presidential campaign if anyone established otherwise.
Onanuga argued that the latest claims from the Anambra State Government had placed the matter back before Obi.
He referred to allegations involving unpaid obligations to Water Corporation workers, teachers, pensioners and beneficiaries of gratuities, as well as borrowing attributed to the former administration.
He said his administration cleared more than ₦35 billion in historical gratuities and arrears and maintained that he left office without outstanding salary, pension or gratuity obligations.
Obi also challenged the Anambra Government’s account of an alleged ₦2.13 billion ecological fund.
Anambra State Commissioner for Information and Value Reformation, Law Mefor, said the account identified by Obi was an Internally Generated Revenue Consolidated Revenue Account rather than an ecological fund account.
Mefor said the state government obtained a certified printout of the account and claimed that no amount matching Obi’s description had appeared in the account as either an inflow or balance since it was opened in 2011.
He said that if anyone could establish otherwise, he would stop campaigning.
The statement has now become central to the Presidency’s response, with Onanuga asking whether Obi would follow through on that pledge in light of the allegations and figures presented by the Anambra Government.
The disagreement is significant because it concerns the financial record of a former state governor who is again involved in national politics ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
At the centre of the dispute are questions about how outstanding liabilities, pension and gratuity obligations, contractor payments, salaries and other financial commitments should be accounted for when assessing the finances of a previous administration.
The competing accounts also highlight the importance of documentary evidence, including government financial records, certified bank statements and other official documents, in resolving the disagreement.
What Happens Next?
The latest exchange does not, by itself, establish which side’s financial account is correct. Obi has disputed the allegations, while the Anambra State Government has maintained that its records contradict some of his claims.
The political significance of the controversy is also likely to continue as the 2027 election approaches, particularly because the dispute involves a former governor’s record in office and a pledge he reportedly made concerning his presidential campaign.
Further clarification could depend on the release and independent examination of the relevant financial records, including the documents cited by the parties.
The dispute centres on competing accounts of Anambra State’s finances during the period of Peter Obi’s administration.
Key Points in the Peter Obi-Anambra Debt Controversy
The Presidency has challenged Peter Obi over claims about Anambra’s financial position when he left office.
Bayo Onanuga said the Anambra Government had presented claims involving pensions, gratuities, salaries and other liabilities.
Obi said his administration cleared more than ₦35 billion in historical gratuities and arrears.
Obi also disputed claims concerning an alleged ₦2.13 billion ecological fund.
Anambra State said the bank account cited by Obi was an Internally Generated Revenue Consolidated Revenue Account.
The two sides therefore currently present conflicting accounts of the state’s financial records.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Peter Obi Anambra debt controversy about?
The controversy concerns competing claims about debts and financial liabilities allegedly connected to the Anambra State administration led by Peter Obi.
What did Peter Obi say about Anambra’s finances?
Obi said his administration cleared more than ₦35 billion in historical gratuities and arrears and left office without outstanding salary, pension or gratuity obligations.
What is the ₦2.13 billion ecological fund dispute?
Obi said more than ₦2.13 billion was left untouched in a First Bank account for the Oko/Umuchiana erosion crisis. The Anambra Government disputes his description of the account and says its records do not support the claim.
What did Bayo Onanuga say about Peter Obi?
Onanuga said Obi had previously pledged to stop campaigning if his account of Anambra’s finances was proven wrong and asked whether he would honour that pledge following the state’s latest claims.
Has it been independently established which side is correct?
The PUNCH report describes competing claims by Obi and the Anambra State Government. The allegations and responses should therefore be distinguished from independently verified findings unless documentary evidence establishes them.
[…] Obi made the statement in a post on his official X account on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, while commenting on questions he said he had received from Nigerians in the country and abroad about whether they should participate in the public offer. […]
[…] Obi made the statement in a post on his official X account on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, while commenting on questions he said he had received from Nigerians in the country and abroad about whether they should participate in the public offer. […]