Omanghana
The Anambra State Government has challenged former governor Peter Obi to withdraw from the 2027 presidential race following renewed allegations that his administration left behind unpaid salaries and other financial liabilities.
In a statement published on its official X account on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, the state’s New Media Office asked, “When will Peter Obi quit presidential campaign?”
The government referred to previous statements attributed to Obi in which he reportedly promised to abandon his presidential ambition if evidence showed that he left Anambra State in debt. He was also said to have indicated that he would have resigned as governor if workers were not paid on time.
To support its claims, the state government released an internal memorandum written in 2006 by Chuks Ileogbunam, who served as Obi’s chief of staff.
The document raised concerns about unpaid salary arrears owed to workers of the Anambra State Water Corporation. It reportedly requested the release of ₦15 million every month to settle the outstanding salaries and prevent a planned protest at the Government House.
However, the memorandum was written about five weeks after Obi began his first term as governor, raising questions about whether the arrears originated under the previous administration.
Despite that timing, the current Anambra government maintained that some pension and gratuity liabilities involving retired teachers and other workers were not fully settled during Obi’s tenure.
The disagreement forms part of a broader dispute over the financial record of Obi’s administration. State officials recently alleged that Anambra continues to service eight external loans valued at $123.77 million, which they said were contracted during his administration for malaria control, erosion management and health infrastructure projects.
The government claimed that the state’s current obligations associated with the loans amount to approximately ₦127.4 billion.
Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, also joined the debate, calling on Obi to honor his reported pledge and end his 2027 presidential campaign in light of the documents released by the state.
Obi has strongly denied leaving Anambra with unpaid salaries, pensions or certified contractor obligations. He maintains that his administration cleared more than ₦35 billion in inherited gratuity liabilities and left over ₦86 billion in state funds when he completed his tenure in March 2014.
The former governor has also challenged his critics to produce conclusive evidence that he misappropriated state resources.
The competing claims have intensified scrutiny of Obi’s record in Anambra as political discussions surrounding Nigeria’s 2027 presidential election gather momentum.
Source: Omanghana
