The Anambra State Government has challenged former governor Peter Obi to withdraw from the 2027 presidential race, alleging that he failed to fulfil his past promises concerning workers’ salaries and the state’s debt.
The state government made the challenge in a post on its official X account on Tuesday, asking, “When will Peter Obi quit presidential campaign?”
It recalled Obi’s previous pledge to withdraw from the presidential contest if it was established that he left Anambra in debt.
The government also cited a commitment allegedly made by Obi while he was governor that he would resign if workers were not paid as and when due.
According to the state, both conditions were breached.
“He vowed to quit the presidential race if proven he left Anambra in debt. As governor, he vowed to resign if workers weren’t paid on time. He broke both. He left office in 2014 with heavier arrears,” it stated.
To support its claim on salary arrears, the government released a letter dated April 25, 2006, which it said was signed by Chuks Iloegbunam, Obi’s then Chief of Staff.
The letter, titled “Gubernatorial Prerogative,” appealed to Obi to clear outstanding salaries owed workers of the Anambra State Water Corporation.
It stated that the corporation’s monthly wage bill was about N15m and that its workers had last received their salaries in February.
The letter also referred to Obi’s campaign promise to resign if government workers wee not paid when due.
“Water Corporation workers were last paid in February. Please rectify this anomaly so that you can forge ahead with the good work you are doing oing,” the letter stated.
The government later claimed that Iloegbunam had “berated” Obi over the issue.
PUNCH Online could not independently verify the authenticity of the letter as of the time of filing this report. Efforts to obtain Iloegbunam’s response were ongoing.
The latest exchange is part of a renewed disagreement between the administration of Governor Chukwuma Soludo and Obi over the financial position of Anambra State when Obi left office in March 2014.
On September 17, the state government, through the Commissioner for Information and Value Reorientation, Law Mefor, alleged that Obi left behind outstanding external loans as well as salary, pension and gratuity arrears.
Mefor said the outstanding balance on eight external loans obtained during Obi’s tenure had risen to N127.4bn as of June 30, 2026, based on the prevailing official exchange rate.
He said the loans, amounting to $123.77m when contracted, were used for projects including malaria control, erosion management, education and healthcare.
The commissioner further alleged that verified salary, pension and gratuity arrears remained outstanding for some retired teachers and Water Corporation workers.
The state also disputed Obi’s claim that he left more than N2.13bn in an ecological fund account at First Bank, UNIZIK branch, Awka. Mefor said the account was an Internally Generated Revenue–Consolidated Revenue Account and did not contain the amount claimed.
Obi has rejected the allegations, insisting that he left office without outstanding salaries, pensions, gratuities or unpaid obligations to contractors whose projects had been processed and certified.
He also said his administration had settled more than N35bn in inherited gratuities and arrears.
Obi subsequently challenged the state government to provide evidence that he left debts or owed contractors, saying he would stop campaigning for the presidency if such evidence was produced.
The dispute has since drawn the attention of the Presidency, with the Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, urging Obi to honour his pledge and quit the presidential race.
Obi’s media aide, Idris Zekeri Jnr, however, criticised the Presidency’s intervention and said former officials who served under Obi were preparing a detailed response to the allegations.
The disagreement over Anambra’s finances under Obi has resurfaced several times since he handed over power to his successor, Willie Obiano, and has become more prominent as political activities ahead of the 2027 elections intensify.
