The All Progressives Congress presidential campaign council has called on Peter Obi, the National Democratic Congress presidential candidate for the 2027 election, to withdraw from the race, citing what it described as his poor record during his tenure as governor of Anambra State.
The council made the demand in a statement issued on Monday by its spokesperson, Dele Alake.
It challenged claims surrounding Obi’s financial record as governor and alleged that his administration left behind outstanding liabilities.
“In the past four years, Mr Peter Obi and his supporters packaged Obi’s tenure as Anambra governor as one defined by exceptional fiscal prudence, including the claim that he left Anambra without a debt burden.
“Obi himself was presented as a squeaky-clean politician. But it has all emerged as a well-packaged lie. Indeed, if Peter Obi has any honour, he must resign from the 2027 presidential race forthwith, in keeping with his promise to end his run if it is proven that his administration left behind liabilities in Anambra.”
The dispute over Obi’s financial record in Anambra has intensified in recent times, with the former governor and the administration of Governor Chukwuma Soludo exchanging claims over the state’s finances and the legacy of Obi’s administration.
The APC campaign council said recent disclosures by the Anambra State Government had challenged the narrative surrounding Obi’s tenure.
“The facade of falsehood built around Peter Obi, the NDC presidential candidate, has now been torn to shreds, with Obi’s persona deconstructed after disclosures by the Anambra State government, which responded to Obi’s challenge to verify his record. According to the Anambra State government, the former governor spent about $4.05 billion, or N5.4 trillion, over his eight years in office and contracted $123.77 million in external loans,” the council stated.
“The state also revealed that, as of when Obi left office on March 17, 2014, there were eight different external borrowings for malaria, erosion control, education, and healthcare, and that subsequent administrations, including Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s, continued to service the debt,” it added.
The council also criticised Obi’s performance across various sectors during his time as governor, alleging that the former governor did not achieve commensurate results despite the borrowing it attributed to his administration.
“Borrowing is not injudicious if used for development. But for a man who prides himself on being austere and has frequently claimed he left the state with a clean bill of health, the revelations confirmed what has long been held: Obi is an irredeemable liar, a mediocre governor, unfit for leadership anywhere.
“Even more confounding is that despite these borrowings, Obi has nothing to show for his stewardship across Anambra’s sectors. He failed to pay workers’ salaries in some ministries. Water Corporation staff were among those who protested over unpaid salaries,” it stated.
The APC campaign council further urged Obi to address the allegations concerning his administration’s financial record rather than continue campaigning for the presidency.
“What should even be more concerning for Obi’s followers is Obi’s recent solidarity visit to someone facing an EFCC trial for unexplained wealth and monumental corruption,” it added.
