The Presidency has renewed its criticism of Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate Peter Obi over the controversy surrounding debts and other financial liabilities allegedly left by his administration in Anambra State.
Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, in a post on his verified X handle on Thursday, accused the former Anambra governor of trying to mislead Nigerians over his record in office.
Onanuga’s latest remarks followed the release of financial records by the Anambra State Government, which alleged that eight external loans contracted during Obi’s tenure remained outstanding when he left office in March 2014. The state said the balance on the loans stood at N127.4m as of June 30, 2026.
“The evidence is clear. If a small, homogenous state like Anambra could not be transformed despite $4.05 billion in spending and massive borrowing, how can the same manager promise to fix a complex federation of 36 states and the FCT?” Onanuga wrote.
He further described Obi’s eight-year administration as a failure and accused him of attempting to present a different account of his tenure.
“Mr Obi’s eight years were an unmitigated failure, now masked by revisionism. He should desist from deceiving Nigerians with sanctimonious sermons,” he said.
The presidential aide also raised questions about an alleged four-year single-term arrangement involving Obi and his running mate, saying it contradicted the constitutional provision allowing a president to serve two four-year terms.
The latest exchange is part of an escalating dispute over the financial position of Anambra when Obi handed over to Willie Obiano on March 17, 2014.
Obi had rejected allegations that his administration left unpaid salaries, pensions, gratuities, contractor liabilities or loans. He also challenged the Anambra government to produce evidence to substantiate its claims, saying he would stop his presidential campaign if they were proven.
However, Anambra Commissioner for Information and Value Reorientation, Law Mefor, subsequently released details of what the state described as liabilities inherited from Obi’s administration.
Mefor said the eight external loans were obtained for projects including malaria control, education, healthcare, erosion management, community development and agricultural value-chain development. He said the outstanding balance stood at N127.4bn at the official exchange rate as of June 30, 2026.
The state government also disputed Obi’s claim that he left more than N2.13bn in an ecological fund account before leaving office.
According to Mefor, a certified statement obtained from First Bank showed that the account identified by Obi was an internally generated revenue consolidated account rather than an ecological fund account. He said the records, from the account’s opening in 2011, contained no inflow or balance corresponding to the N2.13bn claimed by the former governor.
Mefor further alleged that the Soludo administration had paid about N22bn in inherited gratuity arrears and continued to settle other outstanding obligations involving retired teachers and Water Corporation workers.
He also claimed that Obi’s administration had verified 16 months of salary arrears owed primary school teachers but paid only five months.
Obi, however, has maintained that his administration cleared historical salary and gratuity arrears exceeding N35bn and left office without outstanding salaries, pensions, gratuities or certified contractor liabilities.
He has also maintained that the N2.13bn ecological fund was released shortly before the end of his tenure for the Oko/Umuchiana erosion crisis and deliberately preserved for the incoming administration. Obi further said his government left more than N75bn in savings and investments.
