The Anambra State Government has responded to former governor and Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate Peter Obi over his claim that he left office in 2014 without outstanding debts, salary arrears, pension obligations or other liabilities. Read original
The government, through the Commissioner for Information and Value Reorientation, Law Mefor, disputed several of Obi’s claims and said records available to the state showed that some financial obligations dating from previous administrations remained outstanding.
The latest exchange has particularly focused on an alleged ₦2.13 billion ecological fund, external loans, inherited gratuity arrears and Obi’s claim that his administration left substantial savings for successive governments.
Anambra Government Lists ₦127.4bn in Outstanding Loans
In a statement titled “Gov Peter Obi and Record of Public Debt in Anambra: Facts Beyond Propaganda and Lies,” Mefor said records from the Debt Management Office showed that eight external loans linked to projects during Obi’s administration remained outstanding.
According to the state government, the loans originally amounted to about $123.77 million, while the outstanding balance as of June 30, 2026, stood at $92.35 million, which the government valued at about ₦127.4 billion.
The loans listed by the government covered projects involving malaria control, agriculture, healthcare, education, community development and erosion management.
They included the Malaria Control Booster Project, Third National Fadama Development Project, Health System Development Project II, State Education Programme Investment Project, Community and Social Development Project, Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project and Value Chain Development Project.
Among the loans, the state cited a $48.33 million State Education Programme Investment Project, with about $37.34 million still outstanding, as well as a $37.89 million Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project, with about $34.86 million outstanding as of June 30, 2026.
Mefor said the current administration was still servicing the loans.
He maintained that borrowing itself was not necessarily the issue, arguing that governments could borrow for viable projects and human-capital development, provided such funds were properly accounted for.
Obi Insists He Left Office Without Arrears
Obi had rejected the allegations by the Anambra Government and maintained that his administration cleared more than ₦35 billion in historical gratuity and other arrears.
He said that when he handed over power, the state did not owe salaries, pensions, gratuities or contractors for duly executed and certified projects.
Obi also challenged anyone who could establish otherwise to provide evidence.
He said: “If anybody can establish anything to the contrary, I will stop campaigning.”
Government Says ₦22bn Gratuity Arrears Were Cleared
Reacting to Obi’s position, Mefor said the Soludo administration had cleared about ₦22 billion in inherited gratuity arrears involving retired state and local government workers and teachers.
The commissioner said, however, that some legacy liabilities connected to previous administrations remained an issue.
He specifically mentioned arrears involving workers of the defunct Anambra State Water Corporation and some teachers. According to him, the government negotiated a settlement with affected Water Corporation workers and had already paid the first two instalments of a three-instalment agreement.
Mefor also alleged that Obi’s administration had verified 16 months of salary arrears for some primary school teachers but paid only five months.
He said the present administration had set up a committee headed by the Head of Service to complete another verification exercise before settling the remaining obligations.
Fresh Dispute Over ₦2.13bn Ecological Fund
One of the biggest points of disagreement is Obi’s claim that his administration left more than ₦2.13 billion in an ecological fund account for the incoming administration.
Obi said the money was released shortly before the end of his tenure to tackle the Oko/Umuchiana erosion crisis.
He said he decided not to spend the funds because they were meant for a specific project and should be preserved for his successor, stressing that “government is a continuum.” He also said the money remained intact in a First Bank account he identified.
The Anambra Government, however, disputed the claim.
Mefor said the government obtained a certified statement of the First Bank account identified by Obi and found that it was an Internally Generated Revenue Consolidated Revenue Account, rather than an ecological fund account.
He further claimed that the account had never recorded the alleged ₦2.13 billion as either an inflow or balance from the time it was opened in 2011.
The commissioner therefore asked Obi to explain where the money was kept if it was not held in the account he identified.
Government Also Questions ₦75bn Savings Claim
The Anambra Government also challenged Obi’s claim that his administration left more than ₦75 billion in savings when he handed over power.
Mefor dismissed the figure as unsupported and asked for records to substantiate the amount.
However, the government's latest statement, as reported, did not provide a detailed breakdown showing how the disputed ₦75 billion figure was calculated.
Dispute Reopens Debate Over Obi's Anambra Financial Record
The latest exchange has brought renewed attention to the financial position of Anambra State at the end of Obi’s tenure in March 2014.
While Obi maintains that he cleared historical obligations and left the state without salary, pension and gratuity debts, the current administration says records show that financial obligations connected to previous administrations continued beyond his tenure.
The two sides also disagree over the status and location of the alleged ₦2.13 billion ecological fund and the amount of savings Obi said he left behind.
The competing claims mean that the underlying debt records, audited financial statements, payment records and banking documents would be required to independently establish the complete financial position at the point of handover.
The controversy comes as Obi, now the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, continues preparations for the 2027 general election. He formally joined the NDC alongside Rabiu Kwankwaso in May 2026 and later secured the party’s presidential nomination.
