Check The Account, I’ll Quit Campaigning If You Find Anything Wrong” — Peter Obi

The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has challenged anyone who disputes his account of Anambra State’s finances at the end of his tenure as governor to produce evidence, saying he would stop his 2027 presidential campaign if anything contrary to his claims is found.

Obi made the statement amid renewed debate over the loans inherited by the administration of Governor Chukwuma Soludo from previous governments in the state, including those of Obi and former Governor Willie Obiano.

Anambra State Commissioner for Finance, Izuchukwu Okafor, had disclosed that the Soludo administration was still servicing debts inherited from previous administrations.

Speaking on the state government’s Ndi Anambra podcast, Okafor explained that the current administration had focused on settling existing financial obligations and had refrained from taking fresh commercial bank loans since assuming office.

Reacting to the issue in a video shared online, Obi insisted that he left office nearly 13 years ago without owing salaries, pensions, gratuities or contractors whose payments were due.

According to him, his administration also left more than ₦2 billion in a First Bank account belonging to the state government.

Obi explained that the money was earmarked for an ongoing project and had been received from the Federal Government approximately three months before he left office.

He said some people had advised his administration to spend the funds before leaving office, but he rejected the suggestion, stressing that government was a continuous process and that he wanted his successor to have a comfortable start.

“I left office as Governor nearly 13 years ago. On the day I left office, I did not owe any salaries, pensions, gratuities, or any money the Anambra State Government was supposed to pay,” Obi said.

He added that he did not owe suppliers or contractors who had completed their jobs and had their documentation processed.

The former governor further offered to provide the relevant account details for verification, challenging anyone to examine the records and present evidence that contradicts his claims.

“I will give you the account details, and if you see anything contrary to the day I left office, I will stop campaigning because I was not owing anybody,” he said.

The statement comes as political attention increasingly turns towards the 2027 general elections, with Obi expected to face scrutiny over his record in Anambra as he campaigns for the presidency.