By Dennis Okechukwu
The APC Presidential Campaign Council has challenged the presidential candidate of the New Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, to withdraw from the 2027 presidential race, following fresh allegations over loans contracted during his tenure as governor of Anambra State.
In a statement issued on September 21, 2026, the council’s spokesman, Dele Alake, said recent disclosures by the Anambra State Government had contradicted Obi’s longstanding claim that he left the state without a debt burden.
The Anambra State Government said Obi’s administration contracted external loans totalling about $123.77 million, with eight loan facilities linked to projects in areas including malaria control, education, healthcare, erosion management and community development. It said about $92.35 million, equivalent to N127.37 billion, remained outstanding as of June 30, 2026.
The state government also said Obi’s administration spent about $4.05 billion during its eight years in office and that subsequent administrations had continued to service the loans.
Alake argued that the disclosures contradicted Obi’s public image as a fiscally prudent leader.
He also alleged that Obi’s administration left unpaid salaries and other obligations, citing a 2006 memo purportedly written by Obi’s then Chief of Staff, Chuks Ileogbunam, concerning unpaid salaries of workers of the Anambra State Water Corporation.
According to Alake, the memo appealed to Obi to release N15 million monthly to settle the workers’ salaries and avert protests at the Government House.
The APC campaign council spokesman further recalled an alleged pledge by Obi during his governorship campaign that he would resign if any worker was not paid as and when due.
Alake said Obi should therefore honour what he described as his earlier commitment to withdraw from the presidential contest if it was established that his administration left liabilities in Anambra.
“Indeed, if Peter Obi has any honour, he must resign from the 2027 presidential race forthwith,” Alake said.
The APC campaign council also criticised Obi over a recent solidarity visit to an unnamed individual facing an Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) trial, linking the visit to its broader criticism of the former governor’s record.
The debt controversy follows a statement by the Anambra State Government last week detailing eight external financing facilities associated with projects undertaken during Obi’s tenure. The state said the facilities had a combined contracted value of $123.77 million.
However, the figures and their interpretation have become a subject of political dispute, with Obi’s camp rejecting the state government’s claims about his financial record.