Former Anambra State Governor and presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Peter Obi, on Thursday said he left office in 2014 without the state owing workers, pensioners, contractors or suppliers whose jobs had been completed and verified, as he responded to claims over debts linked to his administration.
Obi made the statement during an interview on Arise TV while addressing the ongoing dispute between him and the Anambra State Government over loans and other financial obligations allegedly inherited from his administration.
The former governor said he did not personally secure loans from financial institutions or issue bonds on behalf of Anambra State during his eight years in office. He maintained that the funding arrangements being linked to his tenure should be considered based on how they were approved and accessed.
Obi also said that when he handed over power in March 2014, the state had no outstanding salaries, gratuities or pensions due for payment by the government at the time.
He further maintained that contractors and suppliers who had completed their jobs and whose work had been properly checked and approved had also been paid. According to him, an incomplete project could not be treated as an outstanding debt because payment depended on the completion, verification and certification of the work under the contract.
His comments came amid a fresh dispute with the Anambra State Government, which has accused his administration of leaving behind external loans and other liabilities. The state government has claimed that eight external borrowings linked to projects carried out during Obi’s tenure had an outstanding balance of about N127.4 billion as of June 30, 2026.
The government has also alleged that salary, pension and gratuity arrears involving some workers remained unresolved after Obi left office. It has cited arrears involving former Water Corporation employees and primary school teachers as part of the liabilities it said were inherited by later administrations.
Obi, however, has rejected those allegations and maintained that his administration cleared more than N35 billion in historical gratuities and arrears before leaving office. He has also disputed claims concerning an alleged ecological fund and maintained that money meant for an erosion project was left untouched for the purpose for which it was released.
The former governor said he does not regard the disagreement as a personal fight with Governor Chukwuma Soludo, whom he described as the current governor of his state.
Obi also appealed to governors to allow other presidential candidates to campaign freely ahead of the 2027 election. He said Nigerians should be given the opportunity to decide who they want to govern them.
He urged political leaders and citizens to focus on the economic difficulties facing Nigerians and other issues affecting the country rather than allowing the ongoing political disputes to become distractions.