The Presidency has intensified its criticism of former Anambra State Governor and 2027 presidential candidate Peter Obi over the state’s disputed debt record, accusing him of making misleading claims about loans incurred during his tenure.
Daniel Bwala, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Policy Communication, made the accusation in a post on X, alleging that Obi collected loans while serving as governor and subsequently denied responsibility for the liabilities.
“They sit in the studio fighting government for collecting loans, only for them to hear that their hero Peter Obi collected loans in Anambra and lied about it,” Bwala wrote, adding that Obi’s record should be considered alongside his political promises.
The comments followed a fresh dispute between Obi and the Anambra State Government over loans linked to his administration between 2006 and 2014. The state government has released records which it said were based on data from the Debt Management Office (DMO).
According to the records cited by the Anambra government, eight external loans associated with the period amounted to about $123.77 million, with an outstanding balance of $92.35 million, equivalent to about N127.37 billion as of June 30, 2026. The loans were linked to projects including healthcare, education, erosion control, malaria control and agricultural development.
Obi has disputed the claims, maintaining that he left office without unpaid salaries, pensions, gratuities or obligations to contractors for completed and certified projects. He has also challenged the state government to provide evidence contradicting his account.
The dispute is significant because it has become part of a broader political debate ahead of the 2027 presidential election, with questions surrounding public borrowing, debt servicing and the financial records of former administrations.
The Anambra government has maintained that borrowing is not inherently wrong when funds are used for legitimate development projects, while arguing that outstanding liabilities should be transparently accounted for. The controversy remains a matter of competing claims between Obi and the current state administration.
