Soludo government releases alleged debt records of Peter Obi’s administration

The Anambra State Government has released what it described as the public debt records of the administration of former governor and presidential candidate of the Nigerian Democratic Congress, NDC, Peter Obi.

 

The government said Obi’s administration left outstanding loans as well as arrears of salaries, pensions and gratuities inherited by subsequent administrations, with the total amount put at N127 billion.

 

The disclosure was made on Wednesday in a statement by the Commissioner for Information and Value Reorientation, Dr Law Mefor.

 

According to the statement, the administration of Governor Charles Soludo has so far cleared about N22 billion in inherited gratuity arrears owed to retired state and local government workers and teachers.

 

The state government also published an analysis of what it described as the outstanding liabilities on its official X account.

 

The disclosure, however, triggered criticism from some social media users, with several accusing the Soludo administration of using the issue for political purposes.

 

Some commenters questioned the timing of the publication and called on the state government to focus on governance, while others challenged the figures and demanded further evidence to substantiate the claims.

 

One user questioned whether the alleged debts represented money that was “missing or stolen” during Obi’s tenure, while another argued that the figures should be considered in the context of the exchange rate and economic conditions at the time.

 

Others defended Obi and rejected the state government’s claims, while some users expressed support for the publication and argued that the former governor should account for the alleged liabilities.

 

The reactions come amid heightened political activity ahead of the 2027 general elections, with both Soludo and Obi occupying prominent positions in Nigeria’s political discourse.

 

The Anambra State Government’s figures and the claims surrounding the liabilities remain matters of public and political dispute, and the social media allegations and counter-allegations have not, by themselves, established whether the stated liabilities resulted from wrongdoing.