Peter Obi Speaks Out as Anambra Govt Raises Fresh Allegation Against Him: "I Paid"
- Peter Obi pushed back against Anambra government's claim that the state is still repaying loans from his tenure as governor
- The NDC presidential candidate said he left no unpaid salaries, pensions, gratuities, or contractor fees on the day he handed over power
- Obi revealed he left N2.1 billion in a dedicated ecological fund account at a First Bank branch in Nnamdi Azikiwe University
PAY ATTENTION: Find it fast with our new search feature at Legit.ng!
Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), has denied that he left any outstanding debts when he handed over as governor of Anambra State in March 2014, directly contradicting a claim made by the current state government.
The denial came in a video that circulated widely on Monday, July 28, after Izuchukwu Okafor, Anambra's Commissioner for Finance, said on the Voice of Ndi Anambra Podcast on Facebook that the state's monthly federal allocation was still being deducted to service loans taken during the administrations of both Obi and his successor, Willie Obiano.
Source: UGC
Obi governed Anambra from March 2006 to March 2014, though his first term was interrupted by an impeachment in November 2006. A court later overturned that decision, and he returned to office before handing over to Obiano on March 17, 2014.
Obi's rebuttal on debts and contractor payments
Responding to Okafor's claims, Obi said his administration settled every financial obligation before his departure from Government House.
"As at the day I left office, I was not owing any salary, pension, or gratuity that Anambra state government is supposed to pay. I was not owing any supplier or contractor that had executed his job and his documents processed, not one. The day I left office; I paid what was due to be paid. I wasn't owing any contractors," he said.
He also addressed questions about an ecological fund he said was sitting in a dedicated account at a First Bank branch inside Nnamdi Azikiwe University when he left office.
"The day I left office, I had an account in the First Bank of Nigeria, a branch in Nnamdi Azikiwe University, an ecological fund account with a balance of about N2.1 billion," he said.
He added that the funds had been received from the federal government roughly three months before his tenure ended and were earmarked specifically for an erosion project.
Obi said members of his team had urged him to spend the money before leaving office, but he chose to preserve it for his successor.
"Government is a continuity and I want the person coming after me to succeed," he said.
He went further, challenging anyone who disputed his account to produce evidence, and offered to release the account number publicly.
"If you go to the account, I'm going to give you the account number. I have given you the bank and the branch. If you see anything contrary to the day I left office, I will stop campaigning," he said.
Obi on governors and the 2027 election
Obi also addressed the political environment ahead of the 2027 general elections, noting that over 30 governors were publicly backing President Bola Tinubu and saying this was within their rights.
"It's about over 30 governors today supporting the president. And it is politics and their rights to support whoever they want," he said.
He added that he was not asking governors to back him, only to allow a free and fair process.
"It is the people of Nigeria that will decide, not the governors, unless they're going to write the results or rig the election, which is what I'm preaching against."
Obi resigned from the African Democratic Congress on May 2, 2026, and was ratified as the NDC's presidential candidate.
Peter Obi breaks silence on wife’s N250m Hermes bag
Previously, Legit.ng reported that Peter Obi spoke out about the controversy surrounding his wife's reported N250 million Hermes bag, making it clear he sees no conflict between her personal spending and his public life.
In an interview posted on Monday, 14 September 2026, the former presidential candidate addressed growing public criticism head-on, arguing that his wife's lifestyle choices are entirely her own business, provided they are funded privately.
Source: Legit.ng
