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The All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council has challenged former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi to honour his pledge and withdraw from the 2027 presidential race over fresh disclosures on loans contracted during his tenure.
The council said Obi had previously pledged to quit the presidential contest if it was established that he left Anambra State with a debt burden.
In a statement on Monday, signed by its spokesman, Dele Alake, the council cited records released by the Anambra State Government showing that Obi’s administration contracted $123.77 million in external loans during his eight-year tenure.
It said eight external borrowing facilities for malaria control, erosion management, education and healthcare were outstanding when Obi left office on 17 March 2014, with subsequent administrations continuing to service the obligations.
“Indeed, if Peter Obi has any honour, he must resign from the 2027 presidential race forthwith, in keeping with his promise to end his run if it is proven that his administration left liabilities in Anambra,” Alake said.
The APC said the disclosures contradicted Obi’s longstanding claim that he left Anambra without a debt burden, adding that the state government had also put expenditure during his tenure at about $4.05 billion.
The council said the issue was not whether borrowing was wrong, but whether Obi’s claim of leaving the state without liabilities was consistent with the financial records now being cited by the Anambra government.
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It also alleged that Obi’s administration left salary arrears, citing a purported 25 April 2006 memo from his then Chief of Staff, Chuks Ileogbunam, appealing for the payment of N15 million in monthly salaries owed to workers of the Anambra State Water Corporation.
The council said the memo contradicted Obi’s alleged campaign pledge to resign if workers were not paid as and when due.
Obi has rejected claims that he left Anambra with unpaid salaries, pensions, gratuities or debts owed to contractors for properly executed projects.
The APC council nevertheless demanded that he explain the loan records and honour what it described as his earlier commitment to withdraw from the presidential race if liabilities were established.
Alake also criticised Obi over a recent solidarity visit to a person facing an Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) case, describing the visit as another issue requiring explanation.
The controversy over Obi’s record in Anambra has emerged as a fresh issue in the political contest ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
