• Reject Obi, defend APGA, state govt tells supporters • Face governance, account for state resources, POMR fires back • We’ll win big in Anambra —NDC
Anambra State Government yesterday urged voters to reject former governor Peter Obi and the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) in the 2027 presidential election, drawing a fierce response from his camp, which accused Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s administration of using political attacks to divert attention from questions about governance and the management of public funds.
The exchange sharpened the battle for votes in Anambra, where the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) has endorsed President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid, as the NDC declared that it would “win big” in the state despite the government’s opposition.
In a post titled “A Betrayal Alert for Ndi APGA” on its official X account, managed by Soludo’s New Media office, the state government accused Obi of working against the party that brought him to power and urged supporters to resist his new political platform.
“Since 2014, Obi has had one mission: to destroy the party that made him.
“In 2015, while President Tinubu stood with APGA, Obi backed the opposition to bury us. Do not be deceived by a man who abandoned his own house. Anambra is APGA. Ndi APGA, defend your home, resist the NDC,” the government said.
It alleged that Obi was seeking the support of Anambra voters while undermining APGA’s political base, declaring: “A vote for Peter Obi and the NDC is a vote to kill APGA.”
The government urged party faithful to remain loyal to APGA and support the Soludo administration, citing its projects and policies in infrastructure, education, healthcare and security.
“Ndi Anambra must not allow anyone to destroy the political platform that gave them a voice and produced governors for the state,” it said.
However, Obi’s media team, POMR, dismissed the allegations as a diversion from the performance of the state government and challenged the administration to disclose how it had managed Anambra’s resources.
“Rather than engage in needless attacks on Peter Obi, the Soludo administration should face governance and account for state resources,” it said.
The group accused the administration of deploying Obi’s name to distract residents from concerns about public spending, infrastructure and basic services, urging it to publish details of expenditure and explain how resources allocated to the state had been used.
POMR maintained that Obi had never worked against the interests of Anambra or its people, saying his political decisions reflected his commitment to good governance and the welfare of Nigerians.
It also argued that his record as governor remained a reference point for residents and that his support across the country rested on his performance and public accountability.
Joining the exchange, the NDC’s Director of New Media and Strategic Communications, Theo Abu Agada, accused the state government of resorting to blackmail because it felt threatened by Obi’s popularity.
“It is now clear, even to the blind, that the Anambra State Government is threatened by the growing popularity of our presidential candidate, H.E. Peter Obi, and the NDC in Anambra State and beyond.
“I understand this mad obsession. The NDC is going to win big in Anambra, and there is nothing Soludo and his minions in APGA can do about it,” Agada wrote on X.
“Since they cannot challenge H.E. Peter Obi on governance records, they have resorted to cheap blackmail,” he added.
The confrontation comes amid a dispute over the state’s financial position when Obi left office, with the Soludo administration alleging that Anambra was still repaying loans obtained by previous administrations, including those of Obi and his successor, Willie Obiano.
Commissioner for Information and Value Reorientation, Law Mefor, said Obi left $123.77 million in external debt. He also disputed Obi’s claim that his administration left N2.1 billion in ecological funds, saying there was no evidence that the money was kept in First Bank.
Obi rejected the government’s presentation of the facilities as “debt owed by Peter Obi,” explaining that they were principally World Bank and International Fund for Agricultural Development programmes negotiated by the Federal Government and accessed by participating states through subsidiary arrangements.
He argued that the amounts approved, the sums actually drawn and the balances outstanding when he left office should be treated separately.
“The government has combined these distinct categories, added them together, and described the resulting US$123.77 million as ‘loans left by Peter Obi’. That is an incorrect application of public-sector accounting.”
Obi maintained that he did not personally approach any financial institution to borrow money or issue a bond on behalf of the state, and said his administration left no unpaid salaries, pensions or contractors.
He also ruled out seeking another term as governor, even if the Constitution were amended to permit it.
The political disagreement has unfolded against APGA’s decision to support Tinubu in 2027. Soludo declared his backing for the President in 2025, citing their longstanding friendship and the Federal Government’s economic reforms.
APGA subsequently endorsed Tinubu in July, with its National Publicity Secretary, Ejimofor Opara, saying the decision followed extensive consultations and a resolution of the party’s National Executive Committee.
Obi governed Anambra on APGA’s platform before leaving the party in 2014 for the Peoples Democratic Party. He later moved to the Labour Party, under which he contested the 2023 presidential election.
Credit: The Sun