By Isaac Mission
Former Anambra State Governor and 2027 presidential hopeful Peter Obi has challenged the state government to identify anyone he owed when he handed over power, saying he would withdraw from the 2027 presidential race if such a person is found.
Obi’s challenge followed comments by the Anambra State Commissioner for Finance, Izuchukwu Okafor, who said the state government was still servicing financial obligations incurred by previous administrations.
Okafor had identified loans obtained during the administrations of Obi and former Governor Willie Obiano among the liabilities for which deductions continue to be made from Anambra’s monthly Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) revenue.
Reacting to the claim, Obi maintained that his administration left office without outstanding payments to workers, pensioners, contractors or suppliers.
The former governor said he had been out of office for almost 13 years and insisted that his administration settled its obligations before handing over.
“I left office as Governor nearly 13 years ago. On the day I left office, I was not owing any salaries, pensions, gratuities or any money that the Anambra State Government was supposed to pay,” Obi said.
He added that no contractor or supplier was left unpaid and challenged the current administration to produce evidence otherwise.
According to Obi, finding even one person he owed would be enough for him to abandon his 2027 campaign immediately.
Commissioner Explains Anambra's Debt Position
Okafor made the comments during an episode of the Ndi Anambra podcast produced by the state government's New Media team.
He explained that Anambra continues to experience deductions from its federal allocation because of loans secured by earlier administrations, adding that the deductions are reflected in the state's monthly FAAC records.
The commissioner said the debts were incurred under Obi, Obiano and other former governors.
He stated that the Soludo administration had not obtained any commercial bank loan since taking office in March 2022.
Okafor said the absence of new borrowing, however, did not exempt the government from repaying inherited obligations because some of the loans were structured to be recovered directly from the state's federal allocations.
Government Claims Major Reduction in Debt
The finance commissioner also said the Soludo administration had significantly reduced Anambra's debt burden since assuming office.
According to him, the state's overall debt had fallen by more than 83 per cent.
Okafor further claimed that several domestic obligations inherited from previous governments, including outstanding contracts, pension arrears and gratuities, had been settled, leaving the state's domestic debt at what he described as a near-zero level.
He explained that some foreign-denominated obligations were still being repaid because of the terms attached to the facilities. These included loans linked to the World Bank and other institutions.
Under the repayment arrangements, deductions are made from federal allocations before the remaining funds are released to the state government.
The commissioner also disclosed that the state had recently cleared one of its outstanding debts, identified as CAGS.
He said the government's efforts to reduce inherited liabilities had created additional fiscal room for the state.
Debt Debate Returns to Obi's Tenure
The exchange has renewed attention on Anambra's finances during Obi's time as governor, particularly as he prepares for another presidential contest in 2027.
Obi governed Anambra from 2006 to 2014 before handing over to Obiano, who served until 2022. Governor Chukwuma Soludo assumed office in March 2022.
While the current administration has repeatedly pointed to debt reduction and fiscal management as key parts of its economic agenda, Obi's latest response puts the focus back on whether debts attributed to his tenure represented unpaid obligations at the point he left office.
Obi has now placed the burden on the Anambra government to identify any individual or business that remained unpaid when his administration ended.
