The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Peter Obi, has released his handover document in response to claims by the Anambra State Government that his administration left behind loans and other financial liabilities.

The development has further intensified the ongoing dispute between Obi and the state government over Anambra’s debt profile and the financial obligations allegedly inherited by successive administrations.

Handover document shows over ₦86bn net positive balance

The Interim National Coordinator of the Obedient Movement, Dr Yinusa Tanko, published the handover document dated March 17, 2024, on Wednesday.

The document contained a summary of the financial position of Anambra State as of the close of business on the date stated in the document.

According to the document released by Tanko, the state recorded a net positive balance of more than ₦86 billion at the end of Obi’s administration.

The document was released amid a disagreement over whether Obi left the state with outstanding loans and other financial commitments when he handed over the administration.

Anambra govt maintains loans remain outstanding

The controversy followed an earlier claim by the Anambra State Government that it was still repaying loans obtained by previous administrations, including those of former governors Peter Obi and Willie Obiano.

The state Commissioner for Finance, Izuchukwu Okafor, disclosed the position while speaking on the Ndi Anambra podcast released by the state government’s New Media team.

Okafor said inherited loans remained part of the financial commitments of the current administration, despite the decision of the Soludo government not to obtain fresh commercial bank loans since it assumed office.

The commissioner’s comments prompted a response from Obi, who rejected the claim that his administration left behind the level of debt and liabilities being alleged by the state government.

Obi challenges government to provide evidence

Obi challenged the Soludo administration to provide evidence to substantiate its claims concerning the financial obligations allegedly left by his administration.

The former Anambra governor also said he would end his campaign for the 2027 presidential election if the allegation could be proven.

The state government subsequently disputed Obi’s position that he left office without outstanding debts or other unpaid financial obligations.

In a statement titled “Gov Peter Obi and Record of Public Debt in Anambra: Facts Beyond Propaganda and Lies,” the Commissioner for Information and Value Reorientation, Law Mefor, maintained that the former governor’s position on the state’s debt profile was false.

Mefor said eight external loans connected to projects implemented during Obi’s administration, or inherited by it, were still outstanding.

According to him, the loans had a combined balance of $92.35 million, which the state government said was equivalent to ₦127.37 billion as of June 30, 2026.

The commissioner’s claim directly contrasts with the financial position contained in the handover document released by Obi’s camp.

The latest development has therefore placed the handover document at the centre of the dispute, with Obi’s camp presenting it as evidence of the state’s financial position at the end of his administration, while the Anambra State Government continues to maintain that outstanding loan obligations linked to previous administrations remain.

The disagreement comes as Obi prepares for the 2027 presidential election under the Nigeria Democratic Congress, with the former governor facing renewed scrutiny over his record in Anambra and his handling of the state’s finances.

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