Anambra dares Obi to quit presidential race, releases salary arrears document

The ongoing political skirmish between the Anambra State Government and former governor Peter Obi has taken a sharp turn, with the state challenging Obi to withdraw from the 2027 presidential race. The core of the dispute revolves around allegations that Obi, during his tenure as governor, failed to uphold key campaign promises. Specifically, the state government claims Obi vowed to quit the presidential race if it was proven he left Anambra in debt, and also pledged to resign as governor if workers were not paid on time. The current administration asserts he broke both promises, leaving office in 2014 with significant arrears.

Peter Obi

Peter Obi, currently the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, finds himself at the center of these accusations. The Anambra State government's challenge is a direct response to his earlier insistence that he left office without any unpaid salaries, pensions, gratuities, or outstanding obligations to contractors. Obi had previously stated he would stop campaigning for the 2027 presidency if the state government could produce evidence of such debts. His administration, he claims, cleared over ₦35 billion in historical gratuities and arrears, presenting a stark contrast to the current government's narrative.

Anambra State Water Corporation

Central to the state's claims is a letter dated April 25, 2006, allegedly signed by Chuks Iloegbunam, Obi's then Chief of Staff. This document, titled “GUBERNATORIAL PREROGATIVE,” made a “special appeal” to Obi to settle salary arrears owed to workers of the Anambra State Water Corporation. The letter highlighted that the corporation's monthly salary bill was around N15 million and that its workers had not been paid since February of that year. It explicitly referenced Obi’s campaign manifesto, which included a pledge to resign if workers were not paid as and when due, urging him to rectify the anomaly for the Water Corporation employees.

Governor Charles Soludo

The current administration, led by Governor Charles Soludo, has been proactive in presenting its case against Obi. Through Commissioner for Information and Value Reorientation Dr. Law Mefor, the state released a detailed statement titled “Gov Peter Obi and Record of Public Debt in Anambra: Facts Beyond Propaganda and Lies.” This statement alleged that Obi left outstanding external loans, as well as salary, pension, and gratuity arrears. Mefor claimed that Obi contracted $123.77 million in external debt, which the current government continues to service, and dismissed Obi's claim of leaving over ₦2.13 billion in an ecological fund account, stating it was an Internally Generated Revenue–Consolidated Revenue Account that never held such a sum.