Awka, September 16, 2026
The Anambra State government has published what it says are official debt figures from Peter Obi’s tenure as governor, pushing back against recent claims by the presidential hopeful that reports of debts left by his administration are exaggerated or false.
The rebuttal came from Commissioner for Information and Value Reformation, Dr. Law Mefor, in a statement responding to a post Obi made on social media disputing figures cited by the state’s Finance Commissioner. The government suggested it was surprising to see such claims coming from Obi’s personal account, given how it characterized their accuracy.
According to the statement, Obi’s administration spent about $4.05 billion, equivalent to roughly ₦5.4 trillion at current exchange rates, over eight years, and took on $123.77 million in external debt that the current administration has since been repaying. The government argued that carrying some debt is normal for any administration and does not by itself indicate poor governance.
The statement noted that eight separate external loans taken during Obi’s time in office remained outstanding when he left in March 2014, and that Debt Management Office figures as of June 2026 put the remaining balance on those loans at roughly ₦127.4 billion. Officials said the borrowing had funded programs in areas such as malaria control, erosion management, education and healthcare.
Beyond the debt figures, the state government also criticized the condition in which it says Obi left public infrastructure, pointing to gaps in water systems, school facilities and healthcare access — claiming a significant share of communities lacked public primary schools and that most residents avoided public hospitals due to poor service quality. The statement additionally disputed Obi’s claims of having cleared all inherited pension and salary arrears, alleging unresolved debts to retired teachers and water corporation staff remain outstanding.
The exchange marks the latest flashpoint between Obi and the current Anambra administration as the 2027 election season heats up, with both sides trading accusations over the state’s fiscal legacy.
Note: This story involves contested claims from an active political dispute — figures and characterizations come from one side (the state government) and haven’t been independently verified here. Treat the specific numbers as claims requiring their own confirmation from Obi’s camp or the DMO’s public records.
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