Anambra State debt dispute intensifies between Soludo and Obi

A political dispute has emerged between Anambra State Governor Chukwuma Soludo and former governor Peter Obi regarding the state’s debt profile. The current administration claims that eight external financing facilities linked to projects from Obi’s tenure had a combined original value of $123.77 million, with $92.35 million outstanding as of June 30, 2026.

Peter Obi has rejected these claims, arguing that the facilities were not conventional loans contracted by his administration but were instead World Bank and International Fund for Agricultural Development programmes negotiated by the Federal Government. Obi cited Debt Management Office figures suggesting Anambra’s external debt was approximately $18 million in March 2006 and roughly $30 million by the time he left office in March 2014.

Public affairs analyst Donald Okwuosa suggested the timing of the criticism may be influenced by political calculations regarding the 2027 presidential election. Okwuosa noted that the controversy could have been handled as a matter of public accountability rather than a political dispute and suggested the Soludo administration should publish the official Debt Management Office position from the time of the leadership handover to provide clarity.