The Anambra State Government has challenged former governor Peter Obi to honour his public pledge and withdraw from the 2027 presidential race, accusing him of leaving behind financial liabilities and breaking campaign promises regarding worker salaries.
In an official statement published via its New Media Office on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, the state government cited a self-imposed challenge made by Obi, wherein he promised to stop campaigning if anyone could prove he left Anambra State in debt or owed salary arrears when his tenure ended in 2014.
Leaked 2006 memo reveals early salary concerns
To support its claims, the state government released an internal memo dated April 25, 2006, titled “GUBERNATORIAL PREROGATIVE,” allegedly authored by Chuks Iloegbunam, who served as Chief of Staff to Obi during his first term.
The letter appealed to the former governor to address unpaid salaries owed to workers at the Anambra State Water Corporation:
Unpaid backlog: The memo highlighted that Water Corporation staff had not received salaries since February 2006, leaving monthly arrears of roughly ₦15 million.
Campaign pledge cited: The Chief of Staff explicitly referenced Obi’s campaign manifesto, which promised he would resign as governor if workers were ever left unpaid as and when due.
Subvention request: The document urged Obi to place the parastatal on monthly subventions so workers would not need to visit his office directly to request wages.
However, records indicate that Obi had been in office for approximately five weeks when the memo was written, having assumed office on March 17, 2006, suggesting the initial arrears may have been inherited from preceding administrations.
Widening rift between Soludo administration and Obi
The document leak marks the latest escalation in a bitter public dispute between Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s administration and the former governor over the state’s financial heritage.
Key claims in the ongoing dispute include:
External debt burden: The state government, through Information Commissioner Dr. Law Mefor, claimed Obi contracted $123.77 million in external loans, leaving a debt stock that currently stands at ₦127.4 billion in servicing obligations.
Ecological fund disputed: The government rejected Obi’s assertion that he left ₦2.13 billion in an ecological fund account at First Bank, stating bank records confirm the account was an IGR-consolidated account that never held such funds.
Obi’s defence: Obi, the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), maintains that he cleared ₦35 billion in legacy arrears and left net savings of over ₦75 billion without owing verified contractors or civil servants.
Representatives for Obi stated that a team of former cabinet officials who served in his administration is preparing an itemised rebuttal to counter the claims made by the state government.
Also Read: ‘I believe Peter Obi is the best presidential candidate’ – Soludo’s son
