The Anambra State Government has renewed its challenge to former governor Peter Obi over his record in office, releasing a 2006 document concerning salary arrears as part of an ongoing dispute over the state’s finances when he left office in 2014.
The state government, through its New Media Office, questioned when Obi would withdraw from the 2027 presidential race, citing his earlier statement that he would stop his presidential campaign if it was established that he left Anambra in debt.
The latest exchange comes amid an intensifying dispute between the Anambra Government and Obi over loans, salary arrears, pensions and other financial obligations allegedly incurred or inherited during his tenure.
The state government accompanied its latest statement with a letter dated April 25, 2006, which it said was signed by Chuks Iloegbunam, who was then Obi’s Chief of Staff.
The letter, titled “Gubernatorial Prerogative,” appealed to the former governor to settle salary arrears owed to workers of the Anambra State Water Corporation.
It stated that the corporation’s monthly wage bill was about N15 million and that its workers had last received their salaries in February.
The document also referenced Obi’s campaign manifesto, which reportedly stated that he would resign if workers were not paid as and when due.
However, the authenticity of the letter and the circumstances surrounding it have not been independently established. Reports also note that Obi had been in office for only about five weeks when the letter was dated, meaning the arrears referenced in it may have been inherited from the previous administration.
In its latest statement, the Anambra Government alleged that Obi failed to honour commitments concerning both the state’s debt position and timely payment of workers.
The government cited his reported pledge to leave office if it was established that he had left Anambra in debt and his earlier campaign commitment concerning payment of workers’ salaries.
The state administration said the 2006 letter was evidence that salary arrears existed during Obi’s tenure.
The government also said the letter showed that workers of the Water Corporation had appealed for intervention over unpaid salaries.
The latest development follows a broader dispute over loans allegedly contracted during Obi’s administration.
Anambra Commissioner for Information and Value Reorientation, Law Mefor, recently said eight external loans contracted during Obi’s tenure had an outstanding balance of about N127.37 billion as of June 30, 2026, using the prevailing official exchange rate cited by the state government.
The state said the loans had an original value of about $123.77 million and were used for projects including healthcare, education, erosion management and malaria control.
The government maintained that the state continues to service the obligations through deductions from its federal allocation.
It also alleged that Obi left salary, pension and gratuity arrears involving some workers and retirees.
Obi has rejected the state government’s allegations concerning his financial record.
According to reports on his response, the NDC presidential candidate said he left office without outstanding salaries, pensions or gratuities that the state government was responsible for paying.
He also said he did not owe contractors whose projects had been completed, certified and processed for payment.
Obi further challenged the Anambra Government to produce evidence that he left the state with debts or unpaid obligations, saying he would stop his presidential campaign if such evidence was established.
The competing claims have not been resolved by an independent adjudication in the material currently available.
The dispute has also drawn comments from political actors outside Anambra.
President Bola Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, previously challenged Obi to honour his pledge to withdraw from the presidential race if the state government’s allegations were proven.
The APC Presidential Campaign Council has also urged Obi to withdraw over the debt controversy, arguing that figures released by the Anambra Government contradict his account of the state’s financial position when he left office.
Obi’s media team has rejected the intervention, while saying former officials who served under him were preparing a detailed response to the allegations.
READ MORE: Presidency Challenges Peter Obi To Quit 2027 Race Over Anambra Debt Claims
The disagreement over Anambra’s financial position at the end of Obi’s tenure has resurfaced several times since he handed over power in 2014.
It has now gained renewed attention as Obi prepares for the 2027 presidential election under the Nigeria Democratic Congress.
INEC’s official election calendar currently lists January 16, 2027, as the date for the presidential and National Assembly elections.
The competing accounts over Anambra’s debts, salary arrears and financial obligations remain central to the latest political dispute, with both sides maintaining different positions on the state’s financial condition when Obi left office.
