The Presidency has weighed in on the growing dispute between former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi and the state government over debts and other financial liabilities allegedly linked to his administration.
Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said on Wednesday that Obi had claimed he left Anambra without debt and had promised to quit the presidential race if that claim was disproved.
Onanuga wrote, “Peter Obi claimed he left Anambra with a clean slate of debt and even threatened to quit the presidential race if his claims were proven otherwise.”
He said the Anambra government had now presented figures alleging that Obi’s administration owed Water Corporation workers, teachers, pensioners and others, while also taking loans for what it described as frivolous things.
“Now, the Anambra government has confronted him with facts and figures showing he owed Water Corporation workers, teachers, and pension and gratuities, and had also borrowed for frivolous things,” Onanuga said.
“The ball is back in his court. Will he follow through on his threat by quitting the race?” he asked.
The comments came after Obi rejected claims that he left behind debts, including a ₦2bn ecological fund, contractor liabilities, unpaid salaries, gratuities and pensions.
Obi said his administration cleared over ₦35bn in old gratuities and arrears and left office without outstanding salary, pension or gratuity debts.
He also said ₦2.13bn remained untouched in a First Bank account for the Oko/Umuchiana erosion crisis.
But Anambra Information Commissioner Law Mefor said the account was an Internally Generated Revenue Consolidated Revenue Account, not an ecological fund account.
Mefor said, “from 2011 when the account was opened until date, there has never been any such amount—whether as inflow or balance—in the account.”
Obi had said, “If anybody can establish anything to the contrary, I will stop campaigning.”
