Anambra Government Accuses Peter Obi of Leaving ₦127.4bn in Loans as Debt Dispute Escalates

The Anambra State Government has accused former governor and Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate Peter Obi of leaving behind outstanding loans and other financial obligations when he left office in 2014.

The claim was contained in a statement signed by the Commissioner for Information and Value Reformation, Dr Law Mefor, titled “Gov Peter Obi and Record of Public Debt in Anambra: Facts Beyond Propaganda and Lies.” The government said the figures were based on records of debts it inherited and continues to service.

According to the statement, eight external loans associated with projects undertaken during Obi’s administration had a combined outstanding balance of ₦127.4 billion as of June 30, 2026, when converted at the official exchange rate. The loans cited include projects covering malaria control, education, healthcare, erosion management and community development.

The state government also disputed Obi’s claim that he left office without outstanding salary, pension or gratuity obligations. Mefor said the current administration had cleared about ₦22 billion in inherited gratuity arrears, while claiming that some legacy obligations involving retired teachers and Water Corporation workers remained or had been settled under the present administration.

The government further challenged Obi’s claim that his administration left more than ₦75 billion in savings, asking for records to substantiate the figure. Mefor said the state would not accept what he described as unsupported financial claims.

Obi has strongly rejected the allegations. In a response published on Tuesday, he described claims that his administration left inherited debts, contractor liabilities and unpaid salaries, gratuities and pensions as false. He said his administration had cleared more than ₦35 billion in historical gratuities and arrears before handing over power.

The former governor also disputed the controversy surrounding an ecological fund of more than ₦2.1 billion. Obi said the money was released shortly before the end of his tenure for the Oko/Umuchiana erosion crisis and was left untouched in a First Bank account because it was earmarked for the project.

The dispute therefore centres on two competing accounts: the Anambra Government says it is servicing financial obligations inherited from previous administrations, while Obi maintains that his administration settled the obligations due at the time he left office.

With Obi now seeking the presidency in 2027, the renewed argument over Anambra’s finances has turned his record as governor into a political issue, with both sides presenting different accounts of the state’s financial position at the 2014 handover.