Oshiomhole Questions Peter Obi’s $150m Savings Claim

Edo North Senator Adams Oshiomhole has challenged Peter Obi’s claim that he saved $150 million while serving as governor of Anambra State, questioning how the funds were accumulated when states received their federal allocations in naira.

Oshiomhole made the remarks during an interview with Symfoni TV, where he questioned the financial details behind the former Anambra governor’s account of his time in office.

The senator said he served alongside Obi on the National Economic Council (NEC), where state governors had sought approval to receive their federal allocations in dollars. According to Oshiomhole, the Federal Government rejected the proposal.

He argued that since the allocations were paid in naira, Obi needed to explain how he accumulated the dollar savings he claimed to have made during his tenure.

“So all the allocations we receive are in naira. So I asked Obi, where did you get dollars to save? Did you receive naira from Abuja and go to buy dollars to save for Anambra State?” Oshiomhole said.

The former Edo State governor dismissed Obi’s claim as untrue and referred to comments by incumbent Anambra State Governor Chukwuma Soludo, whom he said had attempted to shed more light on questions surrounding Obi’s financial record.

Oshiomhole also disputed Obi’s assertion that he did not borrow money while in office. He argued that financing obtained through institutions such as the World Bank could still constitute borrowing, even where repayment was deferred.

His comments add to the political debate surrounding Obi’s record as Anambra governor and his claims about fiscal management during his tenure.

However, the interview remarks alone do not establish whether Obi held the stated amount in dollar savings or the precise nature of any financing his administration obtained. The competing claims would require supporting financial records and responses from the parties involved to establish the details.