The Presidency has challenged former Anambra State Governor and Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate Peter Obi to honour his pledge to withdraw from the 2027 presidential race if claims concerning his administration’s financial record in the state are proven correct.
The challenge followed an escalating dispute between Obi and the Anambra State Government over the state’s debt and financial obligations when he left office in 2014.
Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Information and Strategy, raised the issue in a post on X on Wednesday. He referenced Obi’s earlier statement that he would stop his 2027 campaign if evidence established that he had left Anambra with outstanding financial liabilities.
Dispute over Anambra’s financial record
The Anambra State Government has alleged that Obi left behind external debt and other liabilities.
The state has cited an outstanding external debt figure of approximately N127.37 billion, based on the dollar-denominated balance of loans it says remained outstanding. It has also cited inherited gratuity arrears.
Obi has rejected the state’s account and challenged the authorities to provide evidence supporting the allegations.
He has maintained that he left office without the type of unpaid financial obligations being attributed to his administration and has offered to withdraw from the 2027 race if the contrary can be established.
Presidency enters political dispute
The Presidency’s intervention turns what began as a dispute over Anambra’s financial records into a broader political issue ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
Onanuga’s challenge does not itself establish the underlying debt figures. The competing claims involve different categories of financial obligations, loan balances and accounting periods.
The question of what liabilities existed when Obi handed over power therefore remains central to the dispute.
The Anambra government and Obi are expected to provide documentary evidence to support their respective positions as the controversy continues.
The disagreement has attracted heightened attention because Obi is now a presidential candidate preparing for the 2027 election.
For the moment, the central issue remains a factual dispute over Anambra’s financial position at the end of Obi’s tenure, with the two sides presenting sharply different accounts.