Presidential aide Bayo Onanuga has accused Peter Obi of misleading Nigerians over the former governor’s record in Anambra, escalating a political dispute over the state’s borrowing and financial records.
The Presidency has intensified its criticism of Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate Peter Obi over the continuing controversy surrounding the financial records of his administration as governor of Anambra State.
Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, accused Obi of attempting to mislead Nigerians with what he described as “sanctimonious sermons.”
Onanuga made the remarks in a post on his verified X account on Thursday while responding to the controversy over loans and other financial obligations associated with Obi’s tenure as governor between 2006 and 2014.
“The evidence is clear,” Onanuga wrote, questioning how Obi could promise to transform Nigeria after what he described as his record in Anambra.
The presidential aide claimed that Anambra spent about $4.05 billion during Obi’s tenure and also incurred significant borrowing.
He further described Obi’s eight years as governor as an “unmitigated failure” and accused him of attempting to rewrite the record of his administration.
The comments form part of an increasingly heated dispute over Anambra’s historical debt position.
The Chukwuma Soludo administration has maintained that Anambra inherited outstanding loan obligations associated with projects undertaken during or inherited by Obi’s administration. The state government has published figures relating to the loans and their outstanding balances.
Obi has rejected the allegations and has challenged the state government to produce documentary evidence supporting claims that he left behind the liabilities being attributed to his administration.
He has also presented a handover document from 2014 as part of his response to the allegations and has maintained that he left office without outstanding salaries, pensions, gratuities or contractor obligations.
The dispute has consequently moved beyond political rhetoric into a question of documentary verification.
Establishing the full financial position of Anambra at the point of Obi’s departure would require examination of loan agreements, disbursement records, repayment schedules, audited accounts, debt registers and the circumstances surrounding each borrowing facility.
Onanuga also criticised reports of an alleged four-year single-term arrangement involving Obi and his running mate, Rabiu Kwankwaso, arguing that such an arrangement would conflict with the constitutional framework governing presidential tenure. Obi and Kwankwaso have not, in the material reviewed for this report, established that such an agreement exists as a legally binding restriction on a future presidency.
The dispute is now part of the broader political contest ahead of the 2027 presidential election, with Obi seeking to present his record in Anambra as evidence of his approach to governance while opponents continue to challenge aspects of his tenure.