RismadarVoice Reporters
September 16, 2026
The Presidency has challenged the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Peter Obi, to honour his earlier pledge to withdraw from the 2027 presidential race if claims that he left Anambra State without debt are disproved.
The challenge followed an ongoing dispute between Obi and the Anambra State Government over the state’s debt obligations and other financial liabilities allegedly incurred during his tenure as governor.
The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, raised the issue in a post on X on Wednesday.
Onanuga said Obi had previously claimed that he handed over Anambra without outstanding debt and had linked the claim to a pledge to quit the presidential contest should evidence emerge to the contrary.
“Peter Obi claimed he left Anambra with a clean slate of debt and even threatened to quit the presidential race if his claims were proven otherwise,” Onanuga said.
He added that the Anambra State Government had since responded to Obi’s position with its own account of financial obligations allegedly left by the former governor’s administration.
The latest exchange has added a political dimension to the disagreement over the state’s finances as preparations intensify ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Obi served as governor of Anambra State before becoming a prominent opposition figure and presidential candidate. He is now seeking the presidency under the Nigeria Democratic Congress.
