The All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council (APC-PCC) has intensified its criticism of Peter Obi over fresh claims concerning the financial record of his administration as governor of Anambra State.
In a statement signed by its spokesman, Dele Alake, on September 21, the campaign council questioned Obi’s claim that he left Anambra without outstanding liabilities and cited financial records released by the state government.
The development comes amid an ongoing dispute over Obi’s record in Anambra as he prepares for the 2027 presidential election.
APC Cites $123.77m External Loans
The APC-PCC said the Anambra State Government reported that Obi’s eight-year administration spent about $4.05 billion and contracted $123.77 million in external loans.
According to the state government, eight external loan facilities linked to projects in areas such as malaria control, erosion management, education and healthcare remained when Obi left office in March 2014. Successive administrations have continued servicing the facilities, the state said.
The state government has put the outstanding balance of those loans at about $92.35 million, equivalent to roughly ₦127.4 billion using its stated exchange-rate calculation as of June 30, 2026.
The APC campaign council argued that borrowing itself was not necessarily improper if the funds were used for development. However, it questioned the difference between the liabilities cited by the state and Obi’s previous claims about the financial condition of Anambra when he left office.
Council Raises Unpaid Salary Claims
Alake also referred to a 2006 memorandum attributed to Obi’s then Chief of Staff, Chuks Ileogbunam.
According to the APC statement, the April 25, 2006 memo appealed for the release of ₦15 million to cover the monthly salaries of Anambra State Water Corporation workers and warned that the workers could protest over unpaid wages. The memo has also been cited in reports on the dispute.
The campaign council linked the document to a campaign commitment it attributed to Obi that he would resign if workers were not paid as and when due.
The issue has gained fresh attention following the recent settlement between the Anambra Government and AUPCTRE over salary arrears involving former Water Corporation and ANSEPA workers. The settlement recognised about ₦1.563 billion in verified outstanding salaries.
Obi Rejects Anambra Liabilities Claims
Obi has rejected the Anambra State Government’s allegations, maintaining that his administration cleared more than ₦35 billion in historical gratuities and arrears and left office without outstanding salaries, pensions, gratuities or debts owed to contractors for properly executed and certified projects.
He has also challenged the state government to provide evidence supporting its claims and said he would stop his presidential campaign if it is established that he left such liabilities.
The Anambra Government has continued to defend its figures, while the dispute has become part of the wider political debate surrounding Obi’s record as governor.
APC Calls on Obi to Honour His Pledge
The APC-PCC said the latest disclosures should prompt Obi to reconsider his 2027 presidential bid in line with the commitment attributed to him.
Alake also criticised Obi over a recent solidarity visit to a person facing an Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) trial, presenting the visit as another issue for discussion among his supporters.
The competing claims remain part of an ongoing political dispute over the former governor’s record in Anambra. The financial figures cited by the state government and APC-PCC are being contested by Obi, who maintains that he left the state without the liabilities alleged against his administration.
For more background on the salary-arrears aspect of the dispute, Read Anambra Salary Dispute: ₦1.56bn Settlement Reached.