The Anambra State Government has escalated its ongoing political dispute with Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate Peter Obi, releasing a 2024 out-of-court settlement document as fresh evidence of unpaid salaries and financial obligations allegedly left behind by his administration.
The disclosure, made via the state government’s official social media channels on Wednesday, centers on a document titled “Terms of Settlement.” Signed on February 6, 2024, the agreement was reached between the Anambra State Government and the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service, Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE). The settlement specifically addresses unresolved issues involving the defunct Anambra State Water Corporation and the Anambra State Environmental Protection Agency (ANSEPA).
In its post, the state government directly challenged Obi’s long-standing assertion that he handed over a debt-free administration with no outstanding salaries, pensions, or gratuities.
“The Water Corporation Arrears: The Evidence: Peter Obi Lied,” the government’s statement read. “14 years later, Soludo entered an out-of-court settlement with the Water Corporation over salaries Obi refused to pay for 8 years. Soludo is now clearing the backlog. Obi knows; we know he lied.”
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This latest revelation intensifies a brewing political confrontation. The state government has previously called Obi’s bluff regarding his reported pledge to withdraw from the presidential race if anyone could prove he left the state in debt, framing the new document as definitive proof to the contrary.
However, Obi has consistently rejected such allegations, maintaining that his administration inherited massive financial burdens from preceding governments and made significant, documented strides in resolving them.
“We systematically liquidated historical gratuities and arrears dating back several years, amounting to over N35 billion,” Obi stated in his defense, framing his tenure as one of fiscal cleanup and responsible stewardship rather than fiscal negligence.
As the 2027 election cycle approaches, this war of documents underscores a broader political strategy: the weaponization of historical records to either validate a candidate’s reputation for probity or dismantle it. For the electorate, the clash serves as a stark reminder that in politics, the true cost of governance is often tallied long after the leaders have left office, and the battle over who gets to write the final ledger is just as critical as the numbers themselves.
Promise Idoko is Junior Reporter working with moderncrux He covers global politics and international affairs. Based in Nigeria,
