The APC Presidential Campaign Council says newly released Anambra records contradict Peter Obi’s claim that he left the state without outstanding debt.
The All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council has asked Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, to withdraw from the 2027 presidential race over fresh claims concerning the financial record of his administration as governor of Anambra State.
The council’s position followed the release of financial records by the Anambra State Government concerning external loans allegedly contracted during Obi’s eight-year tenure.
In a statement issued in Abuja on Monday, September 21, 2026, APC Presidential Campaign Council spokesman Dele Alake said the records released by the state government contradicted Obi’s longstanding claim that he left Anambra without a debt burden.
The campaign council’s statement is part of an ongoing political dispute over Obi’s record as Anambra governor and his recent comments challenging the state government to substantiate allegations concerning debts and other liabilities.
Anambra Government Releases Loan Records
The Anambra State Government recently published details of eight external borrowing facilities associated with projects undertaken during Obi’s administration.
According to the state government, the loans were contracted between 2007 and 2013 and covered areas including malaria control, education, healthcare, erosion management, community development and agricultural value-chain development.
The government said the total external loans contracted during Obi’s tenure amounted to $123.77 million.
It further said the outstanding balance on the facilities stood at approximately $92.35 million, equivalent to about ₦127.4 billion based on the official exchange rate as of June 30, 2026.
The state government said the figures were derived from its review of the latest Debt Management Office records on Anambra’s debt position.
The government also stated that subsequent administrations had continued to service the obligations.
The dispute is partly centred on the difference between loans contracted during an administration and debts that remain outstanding at the point when an administration leaves office.
Obi Has Disputed the Debt Claims
Obi has rejected the claim that he left Anambra with outstanding financial obligations.
According to reports, the former governor said he did not owe salaries, pensions, gratuities or contractors for properly executed and certified projects when he left office in March 2014.
He also challenged the Anambra State Government to establish otherwise, saying he would withdraw from the presidential race if it could prove that he left such liabilities.
Premium Times reported that Obi also maintained that his administration left funds in the state’s First Bank account and reiterated his position in a subsequent social media post.
The Anambra State Government, however, has continued to dispute his account.
The state said the loan records concern external borrowing facilities and should not be confused with claims about whether salaries or contractors’ bills were paid at the time of handover.
APC Campaign Council Cites Unpaid Workers
Beyond the loan records, the APC campaign council also raised allegations concerning unpaid workers during Obi’s tenure.
Alake referred to a memo dated April 25, 2006, which was reportedly written by Chuks Ileogbunam, Obi’s then Chief of Staff.
According to the campaign council, the memo appealed to Obi to approve payment of about ₦15 million in monthly salaries owed to workers of the Anambra State Water Corporation.
The council said the document showed that salary arrears existed during Obi’s tenure.
The Anambra State Government has separately alleged that workers and pensioners were left with unpaid obligations.
In a later statement, the government cited workers of the Water Corporation and published material showing protests over alleged unpaid entitlements. TheCable reported that the state government presented the material after Obi maintained that he left office without outstanding salary, pension or gratuity obligations.
The allegations remain part of the wider political dispute between Obi and the Anambra State Government.
APC Challenges Obi Over 2027 Race
The APC campaign council said Obi should honour his reported pledge to withdraw from the 2027 presidential contest if evidence established that his administration left liabilities behind.
The council argued that the Anambra government’s publication of the loan records provided evidence supporting its position.
Alake said the issue was not simply whether governments should borrow, acknowledging that borrowing could be used to finance development projects.
Instead, the campaign council questioned whether the newly released records were consistent with Obi’s public claims about the financial condition of Anambra when he handed over power.
The APC therefore called on Obi to reconsider his participation in the 2027 presidential election.
The request is a political position of the APC Presidential Campaign Council and does not constitute an electoral or legal determination concerning Obi’s eligibility to contest.
Debt Dispute Becomes 2027 Campaign Issue
The disagreement has become one of the latest issues surrounding Obi’s record as governor as political parties and candidates prepare for the 2027 general election.
Obi governed Anambra from 2006 to 2014, with a brief interruption during the early part of his tenure. His administration has frequently been associated by his supporters with savings, fiscal discipline and infrastructure spending.
The latest dispute has shifted attention to the state’s historical debt records and the financial obligations inherited by subsequent administrations.
The Anambra Government has acknowledged that borrowing itself is not necessarily improper, saying governments can use loans to finance development projects and human-capital investment.
Its argument is that the records show specific borrowing facilities remained outstanding after Obi left office.
The government has also said it continues to service some of the obligations.
The APC campaign council is now using those records to challenge Obi’s account of his tenure and his decision to contest the 2027 presidential election.
Obi and his political camp have maintained a different position, insisting that he left office after settling obligations that were due and rejecting the characterization that his administration left Anambra with unpaid liabilities.
The dispute is therefore likely to remain part of the political debate over Obi’s record as the 2027 election approaches.
