The Presidency has urged former Anambra State Governor and Nigeria Democratic Congress presidential candidate Peter Obi to follow through on his pledge to quit the 2027 presidential race if claims about his financial legacy in the state are disproved.
Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, made the remarks in a post on X on Wednesday.
He recalled that Obi had insisted he left Anambra without any debt and threatened to abandon his campaign if evidence showed otherwise.
Onanuga said the Anambra State Government had now presented figures indicating outstanding liabilities from Obi’s administration, including unpaid amounts to Water Corporation workers, teachers, pensions and gratuities, as well as borrowings for non-essential purposes.
“The ball is back in his court. Will he follow through on his threat by quitting the race?” Onanuga asked.
The comments come after Obi on Tuesday rejected the state government’s assertions that his tenure left behind debts, including a ₦2 billion ecological fund, contractor liabilities and unpaid salaries, pensions and gratuities.
Obi maintained that his administration cleared more than ₦35 billion in historical arrears and handed over the state with no outstanding salary, pension or gratuity obligations.
He also claimed more than ₦2.13 billion remained in a First Bank account for the Oko/Umuchiana erosion project.In response on Wednesday, Anambra State Commissioner for Information and Value Reformation, Law Mefor, disputed the ecological fund claim.
He stated that the account Obi referenced was an Internally Generated Revenue Consolidated Revenue Account, not an ecological fund account, and that certified records showed no such balance or inflow of that amount since the account was opened in 2011.
Obi had previously declared: “If anybody can establish anything to the contrary, I will stop campaigning.”