The Presidency has issued a direct challenge to former Anambra State Governor and presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, urging him to honour his pledge to quit the 2027 presidential race if claims that he left outstanding debts in Anambra State are proven true.
CDA News Nigeria gathered that the challenge was issued by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, in a post on X on Wednesday. Onanuga recalled that Obi had previously claimed he left Anambra with a clean slate of debt and even threatened to quit the presidential race if his claims were proven otherwise.
“Now, the Anambra government has confronted him with facts and figures showing he owed Water Corporation workers, teachers, and pension and gratuities, and had also borrowed for frivolous things,” Onanuga wrote. “The ball is back in his court. Will he follow through on his threat by quitting the race?”
The development follows a fresh response from the Anambra State Government disputing Obi’s Tuesday denial of claims that his administration left behind inherited debts, including a ₦2bn ecological fund, contractor liabilities, and unpaid salaries, gratuities, and pensions.
Anambra State Commissioner for Information and Value Reformation, Law Mefor, said records from the Debt Management Office showed eight external loans obtained during Obi’s tenure remained outstanding, with a balance of $92.35 million, equivalent to ₦127.37 billion as of June 30, 2026. The loans were for projects including malaria control, education, healthcare, erosion control, and agricultural value-chain development.
Mefor also disputed Obi’s claim that more than ₦2.13 billion was left in a First Bank account for the Oko/Umuchiana erosion crisis, stating the account was an Internally Generated Revenue Consolidated Revenue Account, not an ecological fund account.
Obi had challenged anyone with contrary evidence, saying, “If anybody can establish anything to the contrary, I will stop campaigning.”
Source Verification: Information in this report was verified through multiple credible Nigerian news outlets. All sources independently reported consistent details regarding the Presidency’s challenge to Peter Obi and the Anambra State Government’s claims.
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