Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has challenged critics and the Anambra State Government to provide evidence that his administration left outstanding debts and financial liabilities when he handed over power in 2014.
Obi, a former governor of Anambra State, made the challenge while responding to renewed claims concerning debts allegedly inherited from his administration. He described the allegations as false and maintained that his government cleared outstanding obligations before leaving office.
According to Obi, his administration settled more than ₦35 billion in historical gratuities and arrears accumulated before he assumed office. He also maintained that there were no outstanding salaries, pensions or gratuities owed by the state at the point of handover.
The former governor further stated that contractors whose projects had been completed and duly certified were paid before the end of his tenure.
One of the issues at the centre of the controversy is an alleged ₦2 billion ecological fund linked to an erosion project in Oko and Umuchiana.
Obi explained that the funds were released less than three months before he left office specifically for the erosion crisis. He said he decided not to spend the money because it was tied to a particular project and should be available to the incoming administration.
He claimed that the money remained untouched in a First Bank account and that the balance was more than ₦2.13 billion at the time of handover.
Obi also distinguished the ecological fund from the savings he said his administration left for its successor. According to him, funds reserved for specific projects were not included in the more than ₦75 billion in savings he has previously claimed was available when he left office.
The former governor subsequently challenged the Anambra State Government and other critics to produce documentary evidence contradicting his account.
Obi said he was prepared to accept the consequences if evidence showed that his administration left the liabilities being attributed to it, going as far as declaring that he would stop his presidential campaign if the allegations were established.
The dispute comes amid renewed political debate over the financial position inherited by successive administrations in Anambra State.
The Anambra State Government has separately maintained that it is still repaying loans and other financial obligations associated with previous administrations, including those linked to the period before Obi left office.
The disagreement has therefore become part of the wider political debate over Obi’s record as governor, particularly as he campaigns for the presidency ahead of the 2027 election.
Obi has repeatedly presented his tenure in Anambra as an example of financial discipline and responsible management of public resources. His latest challenge indicates that he is prepared to defend that record against claims concerning debts and liabilities allegedly inherited by subsequent administrations.
The controversy is expected to remain part of the political discourse as parties and candidates increasingly scrutinise the records of their opponents ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
