The Anambra State Government has challenged former governor Peter Obi to withdraw from the 2027 presidential race, accusing him of failing to fulfil past promises concerning the state’s debts and payment of workers’ salaries.
In a statement posted on its official X account on Tuesday, the state government recalled Obi’s reported pledge to quit the presidential race if it was established that he left Anambra in debt. It also cited his earlier promise to resign as governor if workers were not paid when due.
The government accompanied its claim with a letter dated April 25, 2006, and allegedly signed by Obi’s then Chief of Staff, Chuks Iloegbunam. The letter appealed to the governor to settle salary arrears owed to workers of the Anambra State Water Corporation, whose monthly wage bill was said to be about N15m.
However, the letter was reportedly written about five weeks after Obi assumed office in March 2006, meaning the salary arrears mentioned may have predated his administration. PUNCH said it could not immediately authenticate the document and was seeking Iloegbunam’s reaction.
The latest dispute follows a September 17 statement by the Anambra Government alleging that Obi left outstanding external loans, as well as salary, pension and gratuity arrears, when he left office in 2014. The state said the outstanding balance of eight external borrowings contracted during his tenure stood at N127.4bn as of June 30, 2026.
Obi has rejected the allegations, insisting that he left office without unpaid salaries, pensions, gratuities or outstanding obligations to contractors whose work had been processed and certified. He also said his administration cleared more than N35bn in historical gratuities and arrears and pledged to stop campaigning for president if evidence showed he left debts or unpaid contractors.
The dispute has drawn interventions from the Presidency and Obi’s camp. Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy Bayo Onanuga challenged Obi to honour his pledge, while Obi’s media aide, Idris Zekeri Jnr, said former officials of the administration were preparing a detailed response. The disagreement has intensified as the 2027 presidential contest approaches.
