The media team of former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi has dismissed claims of a political rift between Mr Obi and the state’s incumbent governor, Charles Soludo, while also addressing the controversy over Anambra’s inherited debt, political violence and the structure of the Obi-Kwankwaso alliance ahead of the 2027 elections.
Speaking on Political Lens programme on Voice of the People TV, spokesperson Zachary Idris Jr. described suggestions of a disagreement between Mr Obi and Mr Soludo as political mischief and defended the former governor’s record on Anambra’s finances.
The comments come amid an ongoing public dispute over loans and other liabilities reportedly incurred during Mr Obi’s tenure. The Anambra State Government has claimed that outstanding external loans linked to his administration stood at about ₦127.4bn as of 30 June 2026, while Mr Obi has rejected the claim and maintained that he left office without unpaid obligations to workers, contractors or suppliers.
Obi’s team rejects rift with Soludo
Mr Idris said there was no disagreement between Mr Obi and Mr Soludo, dismissing the narrative surrounding the debt controversy as politically motivated.
According to him, Mr Obi left substantial savings in both local and foreign currencies when he handed over power in 2014.
He also explained that some multilateral funding approved during Mr Obi’s administration was obtained through federal arrangements for long-term development projects, meaning subsequent administrations continued to benefit from or service such commitments.
The comments come after the Soludo administration released documents it said showed outstanding loans associated with previous administrations, including Mr Obi’s tenure.
The state government has maintained that Mr Obi left external borrowings that remained outstanding, while Mr Obi has disputed the interpretation of the figures and the characterisation of the liabilities as debts left unpaid by his administration.
Anambra debt dispute continues
The controversy began after Anambra Commissioner for Finance Izuchukwu Okafor said the state was still repaying loans and other liabilities incurred by previous administrations.
Mr Obi responded by saying he left office without owing salaries, pensions, gratuities, contractors or suppliers whose claims had been properly processed.
He also said his administration left more than ₦75bn in a state bank account and challenged the current government to prove otherwise.
The Anambra Government subsequently released records detailing eight external borrowings it said were inherited from Mr Obi’s administration.
According to the figures published by the state government, the outstanding balance of those loans stood at approximately ₦127.37bn as of 30 June 2026, based on the official exchange rate.
Obi’s team condemns political violence
Mr Idris also spoke about recent incidents of violence and clashes involving political supporters, including reports from Delta and Kaduna states.
He said Mr Obi and the Nigeria Democratic Congress did not support political violence but argued that citizens have a constitutional right to peaceful assembly.
He further warned against the use of political thugs to intimidate supporters or disrupt political activities.
According to Mr Idris, political disagreements should not result in attacks on citizens exercising their democratic rights.
‘OK Movement’ structure being unified
The spokesperson also addressed reports about the political structure supporting Mr Obi and former Kano State Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso.
Mr Idris said an official Obi-Kwankwaso, or “OK,” Movement structure was being unified between the two political figures.
He, however, disowned campaign lists and support structures circulating without authorisation, saying they did not represent the officially recognised structure.
Mr Obi and Mr Kwankwaso formally joined the Nigeria Democratic Congress in May 2026 and received their membership cards at a party event.
The clarification comes as political realignments continue ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
Mr Idris also criticised the Federal Government’s economic policies, particularly its efforts to reduce transportation costs through the rollout of Compressed Natural Gas.
He described some of the measures as “campaign gimmicks” and called for greater accountability over the country’s economic conditions.
He argued that Nigerians should judge government policies by their effect on household welfare, transportation costs, poverty and the broader cost of living.
For Nigerians, the debates around Anambra’s debt, political violence and opposition coordination go beyond party rivalry. They touch on questions about how public debt should be accounted for, how political campaigns are conducted and how political alliances are structured ahead of an election.
The debt claims remain contested: the Anambra Government has presented figures it says demonstrate outstanding liabilities, while Mr Obi has rejected the interpretation and defended his administration’s financial record.
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