Presidency Asks Peter Obi to Step Down From 2027 Race, Gives Reason

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  • The Presidency challenged Peter Obi to honour his pledge to quit his presidential campaign if evidence of unpaid liabilities from his time as Anambra governor is established
  • Obi had denied leaving behind salary, pension and contractor debts, saying his administration cleared over ₦35bn in historical gratuities before handing over in 2014
  • Anambra's Commissioner for Information disputed Obi's account of an ecological fund, saying bank records showed the amount he claimed never existed in the account

The Presidency has called on former Anambra State Governor and 2027 presidential hopeful Peter Obi to make good on his word to withdraw from the presidential race if evidence emerges that his administration left the state with unpaid debts.

Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, issued the challenge on Wednesday, September 16, via his X account, after a fresh dispute broke out between Obi and the Anambra State Government over the state's financial history.

Peter Obi’s ₦2.13bn Ecological Fund Claim Faces Fresh Challenge as Anambra Releases Bank RecordsAnambra govt has disputed Peter Obi’s ₦2.13bn ecological fund claim, citing First Bank records and challenging his statements on debts, arrears and ₦75bn savings rowAdekunle Dada, https://www.facebook.com/legitngnews, 16 Sep 2026
The presidency asks Peter Obi to drop his 2027 ambition over lying to the public Photo Credit: @PeterObiSource: Twitter

Onanuga said Obi had previously declared that he handed over Anambra with no debt burden, and had openly pledged to stop seeking the presidency if anyone could prove otherwise. The Presidency's statement pointed to the Anambra State Government's recent release of what it described as records showing outstanding obligations to workers and pensioners allegedly left behind by Obi's administration.

Obi defends his financial record

Obi rejected the claims, saying his government settled more than ₦35 billion in historical gratuities and salary arrears before leaving office in 2014. He also challenged the government's account of an alleged ₦2 billion ecological fund, insisting that more than ₦2.13 billion had been left in a First Bank account designated for an erosion-control project at Oko/Umuchiana.

He had earlier invited anyone with contrary evidence to come forward, saying: "If anybody can establish anything to the contrary, I will stop campaigning."

Anambra government disputes the bank account claim

Peter Obi Names First Bank Account Where He Left N2.13bn for AnambraPeter Obi has dropped a First Bank account number, saying his administration left more than N2.13 billion ecological funds untouched for Anambra's erosion crisis.Dave Ibemere, https://www.facebook.com/legitngnews, 15 Sep 2026

Anambra Commissioner for Information and Value Reformation, Law Mefor, directly contested Obi's account of the First Bank funds. Mefor said the account Obi referenced was not an ecological fund account but an Internally Generated Revenue Consolidated Revenue Account. He said the state government obtained a certified transaction printout covering the account from the time it was opened in 2011.

According to Mefor, "from 2011 when the account was opened until date, there has never been any such amount whether as inflow or balance in the account."

The competing claims over Anambra's finances have now brought Obi's own campaign pledge to the centre of what is shaping up as a politically charged dispute ahead of the 2027 general elections. Obi was ratified as the presidential candidate of the New Democratic Congress (NDC) on May 29, 2026, having resigned from the African Democratic Congress earlier that month.

Read Onanuga's full statement on X here:

Source: Legit.ng