Peter Obi Denies Rift with Soludo Amid Anambra Debt Controversy

By Mark Agwu · Published September 25, 2026

Former Anambra State Governor and Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has denied reports of a disagreement with his successor, Governor Chukwuma Soludo, amid a growing controversy over debts and financial obligations allegedly linked to projects undertaken during Obi’s administration.

Obi said he had no quarrel with Soludo and described the governor as his “dear elder brother,” while insisting that the recent public debate over Anambra’s financial records should not be interpreted as a personal dispute between the two politicians. (Punch Newspapers)

The controversy comes as the Anambra State Government has released records relating to external loans and other financial obligations, claiming that some liabilities connected to projects dating back to previous administrations remain outstanding.

Obi Says There Is No Rift with Soludo

Speaking amid the controversy, Obi said he had no disagreement with Soludo or any other governor in the country.

He also clarified that he was not interested in returning to the governorship of Anambra or seeking the governorship of another state, even if constitutional changes were to make such a return possible.

“I wish to assure the public that I have no disagreement with my dear elder brother, Governor Soludo, or with any governor in Nigeria,” Obi said, according to reports of his statement.

He explained that his recent silence on the issue was partly because he had been mourning his late elder brother and friend, Chief Okey Ezeibe.

Obi’s comments came after the debt controversy generated speculation about his relationship with Soludo, who succeeded him as Anambra governor.

The state’s Commissioner for Information and Value Reorientation, Law Mefor, has also said there is no personal rift between the two men, describing the disagreement as a matter of political interests and competing positions over the state’s financial records. (TheCable)

The Dispute Over Anambra’s Debt

At the centre of the controversy are claims concerning loans obtained or accessed during Obi’s tenure as governor.

The Anambra Government recently published details of external financing associated with projects implemented during previous administrations. It said eight external borrowing facilities connected to Obi’s administration had an outstanding balance running into billions of naira as of June 30, 2026. (Premium Times Nigeria)

The government has argued that the fact that some loans were obtained through federal government arrangements or development programmes does not eliminate the state's repayment obligations.

Mefor said the government's objective was not to indict Obi but to clarify the state's financial records and challenge his assertion that he left no liabilities for subsequent administrations.

He acknowledged that Obi's administration undertook projects that benefited the state but disputed the former governor's claim that no loan obligations were transferred to subsequent governments.

Obi Rejects Government's Interpretation

Obi has strongly rejected the government's characterization of the facilities.

He has maintained that he did not borrow money or issue bonds on behalf of Anambra during his tenure and said he left office in March 2014 without unpaid salaries, pensions, gratuities or verified obligations to contractors and suppliers whose work had been completed.

He has also questioned the methodology used to arrive at the debt figures released by the state government.

According to reports of his response, Obi argued that some of the facilities being described as loans incurred by his administration were development-financing programmes negotiated by the Federal Government, with states accessing the funds through subsidiary arrangements.

He has therefore challenged the state government to explain how the figures attributed to his administration were calculated and distinguished between approved facilities, funds actually drawn and amounts outstanding.

$123.77 Million Figure Under Dispute

One of the most prominent figures in the controversy is the $123.77 million value attached to eight external borrowing facilities.

The Anambra Government has said the facilities had approximately $92.35 million outstanding as of June 30, 2026, according to figures it attributed to records from the Debt Management Office (DMO).

Obi has disputed the interpretation of those figures.

He has argued that the state's calculation appears to combine different categories of financial information and questioned how a figure of $123.77 million could be attributed to his administration when other DMO figures showed different debt levels around the period he left office.

The disagreement therefore extends beyond whether development financing existed. It also concerns how the facilities should be classified, who incurred the obligations, how much was actually drawn and what portion remained outstanding.

Ecological Fund Claim Also Disputed

Another element of the controversy concerns an alleged N2.13 billion ecological fund balance which Obi said his administration left in a First Bank account.

The Anambra Government has disputed the claim.

Mefor said the government requested the relevant bank records but did not find evidence of the alleged N2.13 billion balance or inflow in the account identified by Obi. He challenged the former governor to publish the bank statement supporting his claim.

The competing claims have added another layer to the broader argument over the financial position of Anambra at the end of Obi's administration.

Political Dimension Ahead of 2027

The dispute has emerged less than a year before Nigeria's 2027 general elections, in which Obi is seeking the presidency under the NDC.

Political opponents have seized on the controversy, with the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council challenging Obi over his earlier position that he would leave the presidential race if it could be established that his administration left financial liabilities behind. (Realnews Magazine)

Obi, however, has maintained that the allegations do not accurately reflect the financial position he handed over in 2014.

The Anambra Government, for its part, has continued to defend the records it released and says the issue is one of financial transparency rather than an attempt to undermine Obi politically.

Soludo's Position

Soludo has not been reported as personally accusing Obi of wrongdoing in the current exchange. Instead, officials of his administration have defended the government's decision to publish historical financial records.

Mefor said the Soludo administration's position was not that borrowing itself was wrong, noting that governments may borrow to finance projects capable of generating public benefits.

The commissioner said the disagreement arose from Obi's assertion that he did not leave loan liabilities behind. (TheCable)

This distinction is important because the dispute is fundamentally about the characterization and accounting of financial obligations rather than simply whether development financing was used during Obi's tenure.

What Happens Next?

The controversy is likely to remain part of the public debate as Nigeria approaches the 2027 elections.

For now, Obi maintains that he left Anambra without the liabilities alleged by the state government, while the Soludo administration has released records it says demonstrate outstanding obligations connected to previous administrations.

The competing positions have yet to produce a universally accepted public reconciliation of all the figures.

Meanwhile, Obi's latest statement seeks to separate the financial dispute from his personal relationship with Soludo. By declaring that there is no quarrel between them, he has framed the controversy as a disagreement over records and accountability rather than a personal or political feud between two former governors of Anambra State.