APC Campaign Council Tells Obi to Keep His Promise on Anambra Debt

The All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council has called on Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the New Democratic Congress, to keep his promise to drop out of the 2027 presidential race if it is shown that he left Anambra State in debt.

In a statement on Monday by its spokesman, Dele Alake, who is also the Minister of Solid Minerals, the council said the Anambra State Government revealed that Obi took on $123.77 million in external loans during his eight years as governor.

Alake noted that the state government also stated that Obi spent about $4.05 billion during his time as governor. He left office in March 2014 with eight external loans for projects such as malaria control, erosion management, education, and healthcare, which the next administrations continued to pay off.

The statement said, “In the past four years, Mr Peter Obi and his supporters have packaged Obi’s time as Anambra governor as one marked by great financial prudence, including the claim that he left Anambra without a debt burden. Obi himself has been seen as a clean politician. But this is now shown to be a big lie.

“The false image built around Peter Obi, the NDC presidential candidate, has been shattered after the Anambra State Government responded to Obi’s challenge to check his record.

“According to the Anambra State Government, the former governor spent about USD 4.05 billion, or N5.4 trillion, during his eight years in office and took on USD 123.77 million in external loans.

“The state also revealed that when Obi left office on March 17, 2014, there were eight different external loans for malaria, erosion control, education, and healthcare. Subsequent administrations, including Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s, continued to pay off the debt.”

The APC campaign council said borrowing can be fine if used for development. But they argued that the loans reported contradict Obi’s claims of being financially responsible and leaving Anambra without debt.

The council added, “Borrowing is not bad if for development. But for a man who prides himself on being careful and who has often claimed he left the state in good financial health, these new details show what has been suspected: Obi is a liar, a poor governor, unfit for any leadership role.

“Even more puzzling is that despite these loans, Obi has not shown anything good from his time in Anambra. He did not pay some workers’ salaries in various ministries. Workers at the Water Corporation were among those who protested over unpaid salaries.

“In a memo to Obi dated April 25, 2006, Chuks Ileogbunam, Obi’s Chief of Staff, asked the governor to pay the Water Corporation workers’ N15 million monthly salary to avoid protests at the Governor’s office over unpaid salaries. Obi was just two months into his term.

“The APC PCC urged Obi to admit his mistakes and ask for forgiveness from the people of Anambra. They also questioned why he recently visited someone facing an EFCC trial over alleged financial misconduct.

The statement continued, “APC PCC advised Obi to stop his lies and seek forgiveness from the Anambra people instead of running around making noise. What should worry Obi’s supporters is his recent visit to a person facing an EFCC trial for unexplained wealth and serious corruption.

“Just as Obi promised to quit the presidential race if it is proven that he left a debt burden for Anambra State, he similarly promised Anambra people that he would resign as governor if any workers were not paid on time. He clearly never meant it. He just tricked people into voting for him. When he left office in 2014, he left his successors with more debts to clear.

“We advise Obi to clear his name and seek the forgiveness of Anambra people instead of running around making empty statements. What should even surprise Obi’s supporters more is his recent visit to someone facing an EFCC trial for unexplained wealth and serious corruption.

“If Peter Obi has any integrity, he must step down from the 2027 presidential race right now, as he promised to do if it is shown that his administration left debts in Anambra.”

Obi said his administration cleared over ₦35 billion in old gratuities and debts and left office without any unpaid salaries, pensions, or gratuities. He also claimed that over ₦2.13 billion meant for the Oko/Umuchiana erosion crisis was untouched in a First Bank account.

But Law Mefor, Anambra State Commissioner for Information and Value Reorientation, disputed this claim. He said the account Obi mentioned was for revenue, not for ecological funds.

Mefor added that an official statement obtained by the government showed that the account never recorded the alleged ₦2.13 billion as either inflow or balance since it was opened in 2011.

Obi had earlier challenged anyone to prove his version of the state’s finances wrong, saying he would stop campaigning if there was evidence against him.