The All-Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council has challenged former Anambra State governor Peter Obi to honour his earlier pledge to withdraw from the 2027 presidential race if evidence emerges that his administration left the state with outstanding debt.
The council made the demand on Monday through its spokesman and Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, following the Anambra State Government’s disclosure of loans linked to Obi’s eight-year tenure.
The state government said Obi’s administration contracted $123.77 million in external loans across eight projects between 2006 and 2014. It said $92.35 million remained outstanding as of June 30, 2026, equivalent to about N127.37 billion based on the exchange rate used by the state.
The loans were linked to projects covering areas including malaria control, education, healthcare, erosion management and agricultural development.
Alake said the figures contradicted Obi’s long-standing claim that he left Anambra without a debt burden.
The APC campaign council also alleged that Obi’s administration left other financial obligations for subsequent governments to address. It cited claims of unpaid workers’ salaries and other arrears.
Obi has rejected the allegations, maintaining that his administration cleared more than N35 billion in inherited gratuities and arrears.
He has also maintained that he left office without outstanding salaries, pensions, gratuities or liabilities to contractors for properly executed and certified projects.
Obi further said more than N2.13 billion meant for the Oko/Umuchiana erosion crisis remained untouched in a First Bank account when he left office.
However, the Anambra State Government disputed that claim.
Commissioner for Information and Value Reorientation, Law Mefor, said a certified statement from the account identified by Obi showed that it was an Internally Generated Revenue Consolidated Revenue Account, rather than an ecological fund account.
According to Mefor, the account records did not show any inflow or balance corresponding to the N2.13 billion claimed by Obi.
The debt controversy has renewed attention on Obi’s earlier statement that he would stop his presidential campaign if evidence showed that he left Anambra with outstanding liabilities.
The APC campaign council is now asking him to act on that pledge following the state government’s publication of its debt records.
However, the figures and their interpretation remain disputed. Obi maintains that he handed over the state without the liabilities alleged by the current administration, while the Anambra Government says its records show that loans contracted during his tenure remained outstanding.
The disagreement comes as political parties and candidates begin positioning themselves ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 presidential election.
The APC campaign council has urged Obi to respond to the latest claims and address whether he intends to stand by his earlier pledge.
