The Nigerian Presidency has issued a direct challenge to Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate Peter Obi, daring him to honor his pledge to withdraw from the 2027 presidential race following a bitter dispute over the financial legacy of his tenure as Anambra State governor.
The escalation comes after the Anambra State Government formally disputed Obi’s long-standing claim that he left office in 2014 with a “clean slate” of debt and no outstanding financial liabilities.
Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, issued the challenge in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday. Citing fresh claims from the state government, Onanuga asserted that Obi’s administration had indeed left behind unpaid loans and arrears.
“Peter Obi claimed he left Anambra with a clean slate of debt,” Onanuga wrote, adding that the state government had since “confronted him with facts and figures” regarding unpaid obligations to Water Corporation workers, teachers, pensions, and gratuities. He further alleged that Obi had borrowed for “frivolous things” while in office, and questioned whether the former governor would follow through on his earlier threat to abandon his presidential ambitions if proven wrong.
The controversy was ignited when the Anambra State Commissioner for Information and Value Reorientation, Dr. Law Mefor, released a statement detailing the financial burdens inherited by subsequent administrations. Mefor revealed that Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s administration has had to clear approximately N22 billion in gratuity arrears owed to retired state and local government employees and teachers.
Furthermore, the state government disclosed that eight external loans linked to projects implemented during or inherited by the Obi administration remain outstanding. As of June 30, 2026, the combined balance of these loans stood at $92.35 million (approximately N127.37 billion), covering sectors such as malaria control, erosion management, healthcare, education, and agricultural development.
Obi has consistently maintained that his administration cleared over N35 billion in historical gratuities and arrears, leaving behind substantial savings rather than debt. In a recent interview, he reiterated his stance, challenging his critics to produce concrete evidence to the contrary.
“If anybody can establish anything to the contrary, I will stop campaigning,” Obi declared, throwing down the gauntlet to the state government and any other party willing to substantiate the allegations.
As the 2027 election cycle heats up, this clash of narratives has transcended state politics, becoming a national flashpoint. For the Presidency, it is an opportunity to scrutinize the track record of a formidable political rival. For Obi, it is a test of the transparency and fiscal discipline that form the bedrock of his political brand. Until the ledgers are opened and the facts are incontrovertibly laid bare, the battle over Anambra’s financial history will continue to echo loudly on the national campaign trail.
Promise Idoko is Junior Reporter working with moderncrux He covers global politics and international affairs. Based in Nigeria,
