Anambra state govenment has released details of the alleged debt lieft by former governor of the state,and presidential candidate ofthe National DemocraticCongress, Peter.
The development comes after Obi said his adminstration,which governed the state between 2006 and 2013 left huge supplus in the coffers when it left office. He denied leaving behind huge debts, including a N2 billion ecological loan, unpaid contractor liabilities and outstanding salaries, gratuities and pensions, among others contrary to claims by the Governor Charles Soludo administration.
Obi challenged the state government to release proofs that he left debt behind, vowing to stop campaigning for his presidential ambition ifthe government could provide evidence ofits claim, saying his adminsitation cleared huge liabilities, including salary arrears, gratuities left by his predecessors to the tune of over N35 billion.
“We systematically liquidated historical gratuities and arrears dating back several years, amounting to over N35 billion. At the point of handover, the state owed nothing in salaries, gratuities, or pensions, nor did we owe anything to any contractor for projects duly executed and certified,” he said.
He added: ”If anybody can establish anything to the contrary, I will stop campaigning.”
The state government,has,however,released detailsofwhat it described as debt left by the ADC Presidential candidate, in a statement issued on Wednesday by the state Commissioner for Infomation and Value Reformation, Law Mefor, who said Obi’s claims about the state’s debt profile were wild and false.
Mefor said the total debt left by Obi and its outstading balance as of June 30, 2026 stoodat over N127 billion, adding that the current administration ofGovernoris stillservicing the debts.
In the statement titled “Gov Peter Obi and Record of Public Debt in Anambra: Facts Beyond Propaganda and Lies,” the state government said it decided to respond because ofthe need toset the recod straight, saying the state government is not trying to join issues with the former governor, but had to respond let the public understand the whole about the debt controversy.
the former governor’s claims concerned public finances and debts it said the current administration had continued to service.
“We have no time to join issues. We will simply state the facts here for the records,” Mefor stated.
According to the government, eight external loans obtained during or inherited into Obi’s administration remained outstanding, with a combined balance of $92.35 million, equivalent to N127.37 billion, as of June 30, 2026.
The loans, according to the statement, were tied to projects including malaria control, Fadama development, healthcare, education, community development, erosion control and value-chain development.
The government said the original value of the eight loans was about $123.77 million.
It listed, among others, a $48.33 million additional financing for the Malaria Control Booster Project, of which $37.34 million remained outstanding as of June 30, 2026.
It also listed a $37.89 million Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project loan, with $34.86 million outstanding.
The state government said the outstanding liabilities were being serviced by the current administration.
“Evidently, HE Peter Obi borrowed for malaria, erosion control, education, healthcare, etc. So far, this government pays hundreds of millions of Naira every month to service these debts and we are not complaining,” the statement said.
“It is good for Anambra once we can show the impacts.”
The government, however, said it did not consider borrowing inherently wrong, arguing that governments could legitimately borrow for bankable projects and human-capital development.
It said the issue was whether the borrowing and expenditure could be properly accounted for.
The Soludo administration also disputed Obi’s assertion that he left office without owing salaries, pensions and gratuities.
Mefor claimed that the current administration had inherited and cleared about N22 billion in gratuity arrears owed to retired state and local government employees and teachers.
The government also alleged that salary arrears owed to workers of the defunct Anambra State Water Corporation remained unresolved throughout Obi’s tenure and were only being settled under the current administration.
“This administration has negotiated a settlement and already paid the first two instalments of the agreed three instalment payments,” the statement said.
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