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The Anambra State Government has challenged former governor Peter Obi to withdraw from the 2027 presidential race, accusing him of violating key campaign promises regarding state debt and the timely payment of civil servants’ salaries.
In a statement published on its official X account on Tuesday, the state’s New Media Office questioned Obi’s continued presidential bid, recalling earlier pledges made by the former governor.
“When will Peter Obi quit presidential campaign?” the state government asked, noting that Obi had vowed to step down from the 2027 race if it was proven that his administration left debt in Anambra State or failed to pay workers promptly.
“He (Obi) vowed to quit the presidential race if proven he left Anambra in debt. As governor, he vowed to resign if workers weren’t paid on time. He broke both. He left office in 2014 with heavier arrears,” the post stated.
To support its assertion, the state government released a document dated April 25, 2006, allegedly authored and signed by Chuks Iloegbunam, who served as Chief of Staff to Obi during his tenure as governor.
The document, titled “GUBERNATORIAL PREROGATIVE,” made a direct appeal to then-Governor Obi to resolve unpaid salary arrears for staff at the Anambra State Water Corporation, noting a monthly payroll of approximately ₦15 million and revealing that employees were last paid in February of that year.
The letter referenced a specific clause in Obi’s campaign manifesto, which stated that he would resign “if there is any case where workers are not paid as and when due.”
“Your Excellency, Water Corporation workers were last paid in February. Please rectify this anomaly so that you can forge ahead with the good work you are doing,” the letter concluded.
In a subsequent update, the state government added: “Peter Obi’s former Chief of Staff, Iloegbunam berated him.”
The release marks the latest escalation in an ongoing dispute between the administration of Governor Charles Soludo and Peter Obi over the financial records of the state following Obi’s departure from office in March 2014.
On September 17, 2026, the Anambra State Commissioner for Information and Value Reorientation, Dr. Law Mefor, issued an official statement titled “Gov Peter Obi and Record of Public Debt in Anambra: Facts Beyond Propaganda and Lies.”
The official statement alleged that Obi left behind external loan obligations alongside unpaid salary, pension, and gratuity arrears. According to Mefor, eight external facilities contracted during Obi’s administration stood at an outstanding balance of ₦127.4 billion as of June 30, 2026, driven by foreign exchange valuations.
Mefor detailed that Obi acquired $123.77 million in external funding for projects targeting malaria control, erosion management, healthcare, and education—debts that the current administration continues to service via monthly deductions from its federal allocation.
The commissioner also refuted Obi’s assertion that he left over ₦2.13 billion in an ecological fund account at First Bank, Awka, clarifying that the account in question was an Internally Generated Revenue–Consolidated Revenue Account that never held the specified balance.
Peter Obi, who serves as the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, has firmly rejected the state government’s claims, maintaining that he left office without any outstanding pension, salary, or verified contractor obligations, having cleared over ₦35 billion in inherited debt during his tenure.
Obi reiterated his challenge to the state government, stating he would halt his 2027 presidential campaign if verified proof was presented showing he left liabilities or unpaid certified contractors upon exiting office.
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