The All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council (APC-PCC) says newly disclosed records from the Anambra State Government undercut years of claims by Peter Obi that he left the state debt-free after his tenure as governor.
In a statement issued Monday, the Council’s Spokesperson, Dele Alake said Obi’s record as governor has long been “packaged” by his supporters as a model of fiscal discipline but argued that recent disclosures tell a different story.
According to the statement, the Anambra State Government reported that Obi spent about $4.05 billion (N5.4 trillion) during his eight years in office and contracted $123.77 million in external loans.
The state government said eight separate external loans, for malaria control, erosion mitigation, education and healthcare, remained outstanding when Obi left office on March 17, 2014, and that subsequent administrations, including that of current Governor Chukwuma Soludo, continued servicing the debt.
Alake argued that borrowing itself is not improper when tied to development, but said the disclosures conflict with Obi’s repeated claims of leaving Anambra debt-free.
He went further, calling Obi’s record “mediocre” and questioning his fitness for national leadership, claims Obi and his supporters have consistently disputed.
The APC statement also alleged that some Anambra workers went unpaid under Obi’s administration, citing Water Corporation staff protests over salary arrears.
It referenced an April 2006 memo it said was written by then-Chief of Staff Chuks Ileogbunam, appealing to Obi to release Water Corporation workers’ monthly salaries to avert further protests, early in Obi’s first term.
The statement noted that Obi had campaigned on a pledge to resign as governor if workers went unpaid, and claimed unpaid arrears remained when he left office in 2014.
Alake tied this to Obi’s more recent pledge to withdraw from the 2027 presidential race if proof emerged that his Anambra administration left behind debt.
The APC statement further referenced a recent visit by Obi to an individual facing EFCC prosecution over allegations of unexplained wealth, calling on Obi to address the Anambra disclosures and, per his own stated pledge, reconsider his presidential bid.
Obi and the Labour Party have not yet issued a public response to the Anambra State Government’s disclosures or the APC’s statement.
