Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo – led Anambra State Government has challenged former governor and Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, over his claim that he left office in March 2014 without outstanding debts, salary arrears or other financial liabilities.

The government described Obi’s claims as “wild” and “verifiably false,” insisting that records show that loans and other obligations incurred during or inherited into his administration remained outstanding after he handed over power.

In a statement issued on Wednesday by the Commissioner for Information and Value Reformation, Law Mefor, the government said eight external loans linked to Obi’s administration had a com bined outstanding balance of $92.35 million, equivalent to N127.37 billion, as of June 30, 2026.

The loans, it said, were obtained for projects covering malaria control, erosion management, healthcare, education, community development, Fadama development and agricultural value chains.

According to the statement, the original value of the eight loans was about $123.77 million.

Among them was an additional $48.33 million financing for the Malaria Control Booster Project, of which $37.34 million remained outstanding as of June 30, 2026. The government also cited a $37.89 million Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project loan, with an outstanding balance of $34.86 million.

The state government said it had continued to service the loans.

“Evidently, HE Peter Obi borrowed for malaria, erosion control, education, healthcare, etc. So far, this government pays hundreds of millions of Naira every month to service these debts and we are not complaining,” Mefor said.

The commissioner added that borrowing was not inherently wrong if funds were used for viable projects and human-capital development, arguing that the central issue was whether the borrowing and expenditure could be properly accounted for.

Salary and pension arrears

The government also rejected Obi’s claim that he left office without owing salaries, pensions or gratuities.

Mefor said the current administration inherited and cleared about N22 billion in gratuity arrears owed to retired state and local government employees and teachers.

He further alleged that workers of the defunct Anambra State Water Corporation had salary arrears dating back to the Obi administration, which the present government was now settling.

“This administration has negotiated a settlement and already paid the first two instalments of the agreed three instalment payments,” he said.

The commissioner also said some primary school teachers had salary, pension and gratuity arrears dating back to the administration of former governor Chinwoke Mbadinuju.

According to Mefor, Obi’s administration verified 16 months of salary arrears and agreed to pay them in tranches, but settled only five months.

“This administration has set up a committee headed by the Head of Service to finalise a new verification for us to pay,” he said.

Directly challenging Obi’s assertion that he left no outstanding obligations, Mefor said: “So, Your Excellency, you owed salaries, pensions and gratuities. Many of these people are still alive and can testify.”

N2.13bn ecological fund dispute

The sharpest disagreement centres on Obi’s claim that he left more than N2.13 billion in an account belonging to the state as an ecological fund.

Obi had identified the account as First Bank account number 2018779464 and said the money was released shortly before the end of his tenure to address the Oko/Umuchiana erosion crisis.

He said he deliberately left the funds untouched because they were earmarked for the project and because, in his words, “government is a continuum.”

The Anambra Government, however, said a certified statement of the account showed no evidence that the N2.13 billion was ever deposited into it.

Mefor said the account cited by Obi was an Internally Generated Revenue Consolidated Revenue Account and not an ecological fund account.

“From 2011 when the account was opened until date, there has never been any such amount—whether as inflow or balance—in the account,” he said.

The commissioner challenged Obi to explain where the money was allegedly kept if it was not in the account he identified.

“Since HE Peter Obi raised the issue and admitted that his government received such an amount and it is evident that no such an amount ever entered into the account that he cited, it behoves on HE Peter Obi to tell us where exactly his government kept the money or is the money missing?” Mefor asked.

Dispute over N75bn savings

The state government also disputed Obi’s claim that his administration left more than N75 billion in savings for succeeding administrations.

Mefor described the figure as part of what he called “nebulous creative accounting,” saying the claim had previously been disputed.

The commissioner, however, did not provide a detailed breakdown of the alleged N75 billion in the statement.

The latest exchange has revived the long-running dispute over the financial position of Anambra State when Obi handed over to former governor Willie Obiano in March 2014.

Obi has maintained that his administration cleared more than N35 billion in historical gratuities and arrears and left office without owing salaries, pensions, gratuities or contractors for duly executed and certified projects.

He had also challenged anyone with evidence to the contrary to come forward, saying: “If anybody can establish anything to the contrary, I will stop campaigning.”

The dispute comes as Obi, now the NDC presidential candidate, prepares for the 2027 general election.

The Anambra Government said its response was intended to place its account of the state’s finances on record and insisted that public records, rather than political claims, should determine the facts.