Anambra State Governor Charles Soludo has come under criticism following the release of what his administration described as records showing debts allegedly incurred during the tenure of former governor Peter Obi.
The documents were released on Wednesday by the state Commissioner for Information and Value Reorientation, Law Mefor, amid an escalating dispute between the Anambra Government and Obi over the state’s financial position when he left office in 2014.
According to the state government, Obi’s administration contracted eight external loans between 2007 and 2013. It said the outstanding balance on the loans stood at about $92.35 million, equivalent to N127.37 billion at the official exchange rate as of June 30, 2026. The loans were reportedly linked to projects involving healthcare, education, agriculture, erosion control and community development.
The government also alleged that salary, pension and gratuity arrears remained from previous administrations, including liabilities involving teachers and staff of the former Water Corporation. It said the Soludo administration had cleared about N22 billion in inherited gratuity arrears.
Obi has rejected the allegations, insisting that he left office without owing salaries, pensions, gratuities or contractors whose projects had been completed and certified. He also challenged the Anambra Government to provide evidence contradicting his account.
The controversy intensified after the government disputed Obi’s claim that more than N2.13 billion remained in an ecological fund account. Mefor said a certified bank statement showed that the account cited by Obi was an internally generated revenue account and did not contain the amount he mentioned.
The release has generated strong reactions on social media, with some users criticising Soludo and others questioning the timing and political implications of the dispute. Some commenters used the phrase “educated illiterate” against the governor, while others accused his administration of engaging in political attacks. These are social-media reactions and do not establish the underlying claims.
The dispute comes ahead of the 2027 presidential election, in which Obi is seeking the presidency. It has renewed attention on Anambra’s finances during his administration and the differing accounts of the state’s debt and assets.
