2027: Presidency Dares Peter Obi to Quit Race Over Anambra Debt Claims

The Presidency has challenged former Anambra State Governor and Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, presidential candidate Peter Obi to withdraw from the 2027 presidential race if claims about his administration’s handling of the state’s finances are proven false.

Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, made the challenge on Wednesday while reacting to the ongoing disagreement between Obi and the Anambra State Government over debts and other financial obligations allegedly linked to his tenure as governor.

Onanuga said Obi had previously maintained that he left Anambra State without outstanding debts and had indicated that he would stop his presidential campaign if anyone could prove otherwise.

The presidential aide said the Anambra State Government had now presented its own records concerning liabilities it claimed were left by the former governor’s administration.

According to Onanuga, the state government alleged that Obi’s administration owed workers of the Water Corporation, teachers, pensioners and others. He also referred to claims that the former administration borrowed money for projects the government considered unnecessary.

Onanuga therefore questioned whether Obi would keep his promise to stop his presidential campaign if the allegations against his administration were established.

The development followed a fresh response by the Anambra State Government to Obi’s recent denial of allegations concerning the financial position of the state when he left office.

Obi had disputed claims that his administration left behind liabilities involving an ecological fund, contractors, salaries, pensions and gratuities. He maintained that his government had cleared more than N35 billion in accumulated gratuities and arrears and did not leave unpaid salary, pension or gratuity obligations when he left office.

The former governor also challenged the state government’s claim concerning an ecological fund said to be worth more than N2 billion.

Obi maintained that more than N2.13 billion had remained untouched in a First Bank account for the Oko and Umuchiana erosion crisis.

However, the Anambra State Government rejected his explanation. The Commissioner for Information and Value Reorientation, Law Mefor, said the account referred to by Obi was an Internally Generated Revenue Consolidated Revenue Account rather than an ecological fund account.

Mefor said the state government had obtained a certified record of the account and claimed that its records did not show the alleged amount as either an inflow or balance from the time the account was opened in 2011.

Obi had earlier said he was prepared to stop campaigning if anyone could prove that his account of Anambra’s finances was inaccurate.

The dispute has continued to draw attention as Obi prepares for the 2027 presidential election, with the former governor and the current Anambra State Government presenting different accounts of the state’s financial position at the end of his tenure.