Presidency Challenges Peter Obi Over Anambra Governance Record
The Presidency has publicly criticized the perceived overstatement of former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi's administrative record. Presidential aide Bayo Onanuga highlighted issues concerning debt claims, the development of Awka, erosion management, and insecurity, drawing comparisons with President Bola Tinubu's impactful projects in Lagos.
The Presidency has challenged former Anambra State Governor and NDC presidential candidate Peter Obiover claims about his record in office, with Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, saying Obi’s achievements as governor have often been overstated.
Onanuga’s latest comments followed a renewed dispute over the debt and financial liabilities allegedly left by Obi’s administration when he left office in 2014. The Anambra State Government has released records it says show that eight external borrowings associated with Obi’s tenure remained outstanding, putting the balance at $92.35 million, or about ₦127.4 billion, as of June 30, 2026.
Onanuga said Obi had previously claimed that he left Anambra without outstanding debt and challenged anyone to prove otherwise, including saying he would stop campaigning if his account was disproved.
Obi has rejected the allegations, maintaining that his administration cleared more than ₦35 billion in historical gratuities and arrears and left office without outstanding salaries, pensions or gratuities. The former governor has also disputed the state government’s account of an alleged ₦2.13 billion ecological fund, while the Anambra Government says the account identified by Obi was not an ecological fund account.
Onanuga has also questioned other aspects of Obi’s record, including urban development in Awka, erosion control, insecurity and public services, while the Anambra Government has separately criticised the state of schools, hospitals, water infrastructure and poverty during the period.
These assessments remain part of an ongoing political dispute, with the state government presenting its own account of Obi’s tenure and Obi disputing key claims, rather than the competing positions constituting an independently settled assessment of his record.
The controversy comes as political actors position themselves ahead of the 2027 general election, putting renewed attention on the financial and governance records of past administrations.