A fresh dispute over Peter Obi’s Anambra debt controversy has moved from claims about the state’s finances to a political challenge over his 2027 presidential campaign.
The Anambra State Government says eight external loans linked to projects during or inherited by Obi’s administration had an outstanding balance of $92.35 million, equivalent to about ₦127.37 billion as of June 30, 2026. The Presidency has now challenged Obi to honour his earlier pledge to stop campaigning if evidence showed he left the state with outstanding liabilities.
What the $92.35 Million Covers
According to the state government, the loans were originally worth about $123.77 million and were tied to projects involving malaria control, healthcare, education, erosion management, community development and agricultural development.
The government says the loans remain part of Anambra’s financial obligations and that the current administration continues to make debt-service payments. It cited records it said were drawn from the Debt Management Office.
The dispute is therefore not simply about whether Anambra has outstanding external debt today. The key question is when the liabilities were incurred, who inherited them and how they were reflected in the state’s financial position when Obi handed over power in March 2014.
Obi Produces His Own Handover Record
Obi has rejected the allegation that he left Anambra with unpaid obligations. His camp released a handover document dated March 17, 2014, which it says showed the state’s financial position at the end of his tenure and a net positive balance of more than ₦86 billion.
Obi has also maintained that his administration cleared more than ₦35 billion in historical salary, pension and gratuity arrears and did not leave unpaid obligations to workers or contractors whose claims had been properly processed.
The Anambra Government disputes those claims and says some liabilities continued beyond Obi’s tenure.
Why the Dispute Matters for 2027
The Presidency’s intervention has given the financial disagreement a national political dimension. Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga said Obi had previously tied his political future to evidence concerning the state’s finances and asked whether he would follow through on that pledge.
For now, both sides are presenting different records and interpretations of Anambra’s financial position. The next stage of the dispute is likely to focus on the underlying loan agreements, debt-service records and the financial documents covering the March 2014 handover.
Those records will matter more than the political arguments because they can establish which loans existed at the time, their balances and how responsibility for them was recorded.
