APC Campaign Council Says Obi Must Honour Pledge, Quit 2027 Race Over Anambra Loans

The All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council has called on former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi to honour what it says was his public pledge and withdraw from the 2027 presidential election, following fresh disclosures about external loans obtained during his administration.

In a statement issued on Monday and signed by its spokesman, Dele Alake, the council said Obi had previously promised to quit the presidential race if it was established that he left Anambra State with a debt burden. The APC cited financial records released by the Anambra State Government, which it said showed that Obi’s administration contracted $123.77 million in external loans during his eight-year tenure, with the facilities remaining outstanding when he left office on March 17, 2014,

According to the APC, the loans comprised eight external borrowing facilities used to finance projects in malaria control, erosion management, education and healthcare. The council argued that subsequent administrations have continued servicing the obligations, adding that the issue was not whether borrowing was wrong, but whether Obi’s longstanding claim of leaving Anambra without liabilities was consistent with the financial records now being cited by the state government.

Alake said the state government also placed total expenditure during Obi’s tenure at approximately $4.05 billion, insisting the newly disclosed figures contradicted the former governor’s narrative on the state’s finances. “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 liabilities in Anambra,” the APC spokesman said.

Questions surrounding Anambra State’s debt profile have resurfaced repeatedly in Nigeria’s political discourse, particularly as preparations for the 2027 election gather momentum. Supporters of Obi have consistently maintained that his administration improved the state’s fiscal position through prudent financial management, investments and savings, while critics have challenged aspects of that record and the interpretation of the state’s liabilities.

The APC Campaign Council’s latest intervention reflects how governance records and economic management are increasingly becoming central themes in the emerging presidential contest, with rival political camps revisiting the performance of past administrations.

The remarks come as Nigeria’s major political parties continue shaping their narratives ahead of the next general election, with alliances, succession plans and fiscal accountability dominating public debate. While the APC insists the newly cited records undermine Obi’s previous claims, the controversy remains a political dispute rather than a judicial finding, and no court has ruled on the competing interpretations of Anambra’s financial records.

As the 2027 race gradually takes shape, the renewed controversy underscores how historical governance records are likely to remain a defining battleground. Ultimately, the debate over borrowing, public finance and accountability may prove just as influential as campaign promises in shaping the national political conversation.