Withdraw from 2027 election, you have been proved wrong – Presidency tells Peter Obi

The Presidency has challenged the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, to withdraw from the 2027 presidential race if claims that his administration left Anambra State with outstanding debts are proven.

Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, made the challenge in a post on X on Wednesday.

Onanuga referred to fresh claims by the Anambra State Government that Obi’s administration left behind unpaid loans, salaries, pensions and gratuities.

“Peter Obi claimed he left Anambra with a clean slate of debt,” Onanuga wrote. He added that the state government had “confronted him with facts and figures” concerning workers of the Water Corporation, teachers, pensioners and others owed money.

Onanuga also alleged that Obi borrowed money for “frivolous things” while he was governor and questioned whether he would keep his earlier promise to quit the presidential race if evidence showed that his administration left debts behind.

The controversy followed a statement by Anambra Commissioner for Information and Value Reorientation, Dr Law Mefor, who disputed Obi’s claim that he left the state without unpaid liabilities.

Mefor said Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s administration had cleared about N22 billion in gratuity arrears inherited from previous governments. The money, he said, was owed to retired state and local government workers as well as teachers.

He also said Obi’s administration left outstanding loans and arrears of salaries, pensions and gratuities that were later inherited by subsequent governments.

According to the state government, eight external loans connected to projects implemented or inherited during Obi’s tenure are still outstanding. The loans have a combined balance of $92.35m, valued at N127.37bn as of June 30, 2026.

The loans were obtained for projects covering malaria control, erosion management, healthcare, education, community development and agricultural value-chain development.

Mefor said the government was not interested in arguing over which administration paid specific arrears. However, he maintained that some liabilities dating back to previous administrations were still unpaid.

He specifically mentioned salary arrears owed to workers of the defunct Water Corporation, saying the issue remained unresolved throughout Obi’s tenure.

Obi has previously said his administration cleared more than N35bn in historical gratuities and arrears. He also maintained that he left office without unpaid salary, pension or gratuity obligations.

The former governor further disputed the state government’s position on the ecological fund. He said more than N2.13bn meant for the Oko/Umuchiana erosion crisis remained untouched in a First Bank account.

Obi also said his administration left more than N75bn in savings when it handed over power.