ANAMBRA GOVERNMENT FACES BACKLASH OVER RENEWED ATTACKS ON PETER OBI

The Anambra State Government has come under growing public criticism following its renewed confrontation with former governor Peter Obi over the financial record of his administration.

The controversy intensified after the state government released details of alleged loans and other liabilities it said were associated with Obi’s tenure. Officials also challenged his claims that he left office in 2014 without outstanding salaries, pensions, gratuities, contractor payments or other significant obligations.

Obi has rejected the allegations and challenged the state government to provide evidence that he left Anambra with outstanding debt. He has maintained that his administration settled its obligations and left substantial funds for the state when he handed over power. His former Secretary to the State Government, Oseloka Obaze, has also defended the administration’s financial record, saying Obi left substantial funds in government coffers.

The government's response has, however, generated a backlash on social media and among sections of the public. Critics have questioned why the Soludo administration is placing renewed emphasis on the financial record of a former governor more than a decade after his departure. Some reactions have also called for the government to publish complete and independently verifiable documentation that can establish the exact financial position of Anambra at the point Obi left office.

Another point of contention is the government's presentation of historical loan balances using present-day naira values. The state has cited an outstanding balance of about N127.37 billion as of June 30, 2026, based on its accounting of external loans. Critics have questioned whether presenting historical obligations at current exchange rates gives the public a clear picture of the state's actual debt position when Obi left office in 2014.

The dispute has also expanded beyond the original debt claims. The Anambra Government has challenged Obi's account of ecological funds, while officials have raised allegations concerning unpaid entitlements involving former workers. Obi's supporters have responded by demanding documentary evidence and accusing the government of turning the issue into a political confrontation. These remain competing claims that require examination against official records.

The backlash has become particularly significant because Obi is now seeking the presidency in 2027. The All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council has also entered the debate, using the Anambra debt controversy to challenge Obi's political credibility. Obi, meanwhile, has stood by his account and challenged his critics to prove otherwise.

The escalating exchange has prompted calls for restraint. The Anambra State branch of the Civil Liberties Organisation recently described the continuing public confrontation between Obi and Soludo as unhealthy and called for reconciliation.

At the heart of the backlash is therefore not simply a disagreement over figures, but a broader demand for transparency. Nigerians are increasingly asking both sides to move beyond political exchanges and present complete, verifiable financial records covering the period in question. Such documentation would provide a clearer basis for determining what liabilities existed in 2014, what was subsequently repaid, and which obligations belong to later administrations.