Peter Obi Speaks on Soludo Rift and Anambra Debt Row

(Peter Obi. Photo by Arise News)

Former Anambra governor Peter Obi has moved to settle speculation about tensions with his successor, saying he has no disagreement with Chukwuma Soludo and will never run for governor again, regardless of whether the constitution changes.

Obi made the statement Friday while addressing a mounting row over millions of dollars in loans tied to projects during his eight years running the state.

He said he had stayed quiet for days while mourning his elder brother, Chief Okey Ezeibe, but felt compelled to respond to what he described as a needless distraction from the real problems facing Nigerians.

The row centres on external borrowings the current Anambra government says total $123.77 million from Obi's time as governor.

The state claims $92.35 million of that remains unpaid as of June this year.

Obi disputes this entirely, arguing the state government is misrepresenting how the money was accessed and calculated.

According to Obi, these were not loans he personally sought.

Instead, they were World Bank and International Fund for Agricultural Development programmes arranged by the federal government and made available to participating states like Anambra.

The state government, he said, has conflated three separate accounting categories approved amounts, drawn funds and outstanding balances and falsely attributed all of it to him.

Obi pointed out another contradiction. When he left office in March 2014, Anambra's recorded external debt stood at around $30 million.

By December that year, it had risen to $45.15 million.

Yet the current government claims he left behind $123.77 million in obligations.

The numbers don't add up, Obi insisted.

He also stressed he never personally approached any lender or financial institution on behalf of the state.

The former director-general of Nigeria's Debt Management Office, Abraham Nwankwo, even named him chairman at his farewell ceremony and said Obi was the only state governor in ten years who never came asking for loan facilities.

Obi added that his administration paid all salaries, gratuities and pensions when it left office and owed nothing to verified contractors or suppliers.

He called on governors to stop blocking opposition candidates from campaigning in their states and let voters decide who leads them.

ON THE ANAMBRA DEBT QUESTION

I have remained silent over the past few days because I have been grieving the loss of my very dear elder brother and friend, Chief Okey Ezeibe. However, the time has come for me to address some of the matters that have occupied public discussion in… pic.twitter.com/O93SWrDwsY

— Peter Obi (@PeterObi) September 25, 2026