Anambra: Revisiting the Obi vs. Soludo debacle

As Nigerians prepare for the January 2027 presidential election, the political atmosphere in Anambra State, the home state of the presidential candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr Peter Obi, who is the main challenger to second-term bid of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has continued to generate excruciating heat, with Obi’s kinsman and incumbent governor of the state, Professor Charles Soludo, firing deadly darts at the presidential bid of the former governor of the state. In this piece, MMUTA CAJETAN IFEANYICHUKWU reviews the issues responsible for the raging storm in the state and how the duo of Soludo and Obi became sworn enemies.

Anambra State is again in the eye of the storm. This time, the dust has shifted from what used to be an annual ritual of political trading between familiar names or figures each election year.

The names of popular Ubas and other diehard political godfathers have dramatically died down and become history in the state. This is because, as history beckons and the world is a stage, there is time and season for everything and everyone.

That notwithstanding, the current brouhaha in the ‘Light of the Nation’ state is not far from the same unsettling dust of who gets what, where, how and when, that characterises the country’s political sphere.

Last week, the country was awash with the buzz stirred by the current All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA)-led government of Professor Charles Chukwuma Soludo over the reeled-out details of what was allegedly left behind and handed over to then Governor of the state, Chief Willie Obiano, who took over the reins of power from Mr Peter Obi.

Obi, a former governor of Anambra State and currently the presidential candidate of the opposition Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), in the 2027 general elections, came under severe backlash from Governor Soludo for the figures he let out as contained in his handover note or letter in 2014.

Both Obi and Soludo are two political heavy weights, sons and pride of people of Anambra and indeed citizens of Nigeria. Interestingly, both share different perspectives about the socio-economic, political, religious and global views of life and living. Also, both political actors belong to distinct schools of thought with different backgrounds on government and governance systems.

Peter Obi is from Agulu town in Anaocha Local Government Area in the Anambra Central Senatorial District of the state. Soludo, on the other hand, hails from Isuofia town in Aguata Local Government Area in Anambra South Senatorial District of the state.

Both men need no introduction, as they were best friends before, during Soludo’s days as the governor of the nation’s apex financial institution, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

What exactly went wrong?

As brothers and kinsmen, many had expected that the duo should have taken mature steps and responsibilities to resolve their differences but this is not to be and those who should know, and the public, appear to be folding their hands to see the looming dangerous mine explode beyond containment. Everyone appears to be burning his or her heads in the dust like the ostrich.

The question therefore is who will rescue or salvage the raging fire, given that the grasses suffer when two elephants lock themselves in fierce battle.

There are two major things pushing the feud hard. It is believed in some quarters that Governor Charles Soludo is the one instigating the stalemate. The situation becomes more worrisome each time there is election in the country’s polity. Not a few analysts are of the view that the raging battle is more of politics than anything else.

In 2010, during Peter Obi’s re-election as governor under the APGA umbrella, there was tension as the former CBN czar moved ferociously to stop the soft-talking governor and businessman. Soludo wanted to contest for the governorship seat of the state under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) but was rejected by the people.

That was the era when the late Chief Tony Anenih was the Chairman Board of Trustees (BoT) of the PDP. Chief Anenih, while in the state, pledged that if the people of Anambra voted Soludo in as governor, he (Anenih) would change his name from Anenih to ‘Anene’. But Soludo lost in that epic contest.

But towards the build-up to the 2014 election, the former CBN governor switched over to APGA to contest the poll but was disqualified by the ruling APGA. Not deterred, however, Soludo remained in the APGA and supported Chief Willie Obiano’s government.

Obi was said to have a running battle with Governor Obiano, which forced him to leave APGA, which he laboured to build for the PDP.

At the verge of Obiano’s second-term re-election, Peter Obi anointed his then Secretary to the Anambra State Government (SSG), Chief Oseloka Obaze, as candidate of the PDP in 2017. Since that period, Soludo has remained Obi’s arch political enemy.

When Obiano finished his eight years in office, he supported Soludo after he won the APGA governorship ticket.

2023 to date:

In the build-up to the 2023 general elections, when Peter Obi emerged as the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Soludo campaigned vigorously against him and favoured Ahmed Bola Tinubu of the APC. Tinubu eventually won the 2023 polls as president.

Governor Soludo no doubt strongly criticised Peter Obi, which was made manifest through his then-long essay against Obi’s presidential ambition, his legacies and achievements. Again, Soludo had promised to write a second essay aimed at tormenting Obi the most but that never came to pass.

He, however, continues to make comments and statements to run down the popular Agulu politician despite the massive support he enjoys from the masses of Nigeria.

For instance, during President Tinubu’s one-day working visit to Anambra State last year to commission key projects executed by the Solution Government of Charlie Nwamgbafor, he (Soludo) at the Alex Ekwueme Square, venue of the reception ceremony for Mr President, openly referenced that the last time an incumbent President visited the state was 12 years ago when the then president commissioned “a beer company”.

Therefore, it’s not far-fetched that Soludo is pushing for what many see as political vengeance against the NDC presidential candidate, having seen that Obi has secured the ticket of his party to contest against President Tinubu, who is seeking a second term in office.

Another possible reason for the deepening rivalry is the much-touted Soludo’s alleged secret alliance with the inner henchmen of the APC at the Presidency.

This reasoning is premised on his being positioned as likely Vice Presidential candidate in 2031 after President Bola Tinubu must have finished his tenure and handed over to a northerner.

This unwritten agreement, many are wont to believe, is one of the things stirring intense battle amongst forces within the APC in the South-East and the eggheads of APGA over Soludo’s desperate scheme.

Charlie Nwamgbafor has in recent times mounted an intense campaign to convince forces within the APC at the national level and the Presidency that the “Progressives are working together”, a move that has continued to tear the camps of APGA and APC in the state to shreds.

The stakeholders of the South-East APC and in Anambra have risen against that secret move by Soludo and his team and have vowed to ensure the party (APC) members vote for only candidates of the party come next year’s polls.

According to the APC chieftains, the Soludo secret progressives working together thing is fallacious and deceptive and therefore cannot stand as no one will warehouse APC products and sell his own products alone.

Sadly, on Saturday, September 19th, 2026, the NDC presidential candidate and former Anambra governor had disowned a letter purporting that he is seeking the intervention of His Royal Majesty, Obi Alfred Achebe, Agbogidi, the Obi of Onitsha, over the controversial debt row between him and Soludo, concerning Obi’s handover note when he left office as governor of the state on March 17, 2014.

READ ALSO: TRENDING: Soludo hails Peter Obi’s record in resurfaced video

In a letter titled: “The Future of Ndigbo Is Bleak”, dated 19th September, 2026, and addressed to “His Majesty, Obi of Onitsha, Anambra State”, purportedly signed by Peter Obi, former Anambra State governor and NDC presidential candidate, Obi was said to have appealed for the highly respected Igbo traditional ruler to facilitate a forum of respected “Igbo traditional rulers, stakeholders and elders”, where facts concerning the disagreements between him and the Soludo government about his administration’s handover note would be thoroughly examined and truth established so that the development would not impact negatively on the future of Ndigbo.

The letter partly reads: “I therefore appeal with humility to our traditional institutions, political leaders, and elders to encourage an environment where facts are respected, accountability is welcomed, and personal disagreement does not become greater than the interests of our people.”

It noted that, “Anambra belongs to all of us. The Igbo people belong to all of us. And the future we leave for the next generation must be greater than the disappointment of today.”

But when contacted concerning the letter, Peter Obi’s media aide, Dr. Valentine Obienyem, stated at the weekend that the letter credited to his boss is “fake”.

In his quick intervention, Mr. Oseloka, the former Secretary to Anambra State Government (SSG), under Peter Obi as governor, said: “As the SSG of Anambra under Peter Obi at the time he left office on 17 March, 2014, I had the honour of personally being present when Peter Obi signed the attached handover letter.”

“I was also present when Gov. Willie Obiano received and signed an acknowledgement for his own copy of the letter, complete with the annexed certified bank statements, related documents and the Handover Report.”

According to Oseloka, “The letter listed assets and liabilities – in black and red.”

The former SSG added that, “During the nationally televised Anambra 2017 governorship debate on Sunday 12, November, 2017, organised by Channels Television, Governor Willie Obiano asserted surprisingly that there were no funds left by the Obi Administration.”

“I recall asking him on national television how, as a certified accountant and auditor, he would sign off, and accept financial documents, for which he now was expressing reservations. He then publicly acknowledged, for the first time, that some specified funds were in place and asked what was the use of saving money, when there was work to be done.”

“As Governor Darius Ishaku of Taraba would later confirm to members of the Nigerian press corps, Governor Obiano had disclosed to him that his predecessor (Obi) had indeed left huge sums of money, which enabled him to independently build the Anambra Airport at Umueri.”

Oseloka stated that, “If Governor Obiano, to whom Peter Obi handed over to in 2014, would eventually acknowledge -implicitly and explicitly – that Governor Peter Obi indeed left the stipulated funds; a fact that was also publicly corroborated by Governor Alex Otti, in his capacity as an ex-banker, what then, one may ask, is the beef and grouse of the incumbent Anambra State Government?

 The issue in contention:

The former governor, Mr. Peter Obi, had, in his handover note with reference number ANGH ANGH/S/HE/INT/2599, dated March 17, 2014, with the title “2014 Anambra State Handover Report,” which he addressed to his successor and then state governor, “His Excellency Chief Dr. Willie Obiano, Governor, Anambra State”, stated that, “I have the honour to forward herewith, the Handover Report of my administration. I trust that you will find this report useful, as a tool for consolidating and moving forward the administration and governance structures in Anambra State.

“As Friday, 14 March, 2014 was the final working day of my administration, I also forward herewith the summary of the full financial statement of Anambra State (copies of which are herein attached) as at close of business on that day. The summary of the accounts is as follows:

Local Investment as at March 14/3/14 – 27, 000, 000, 000:00, Foreign Currency Investment (US$156M) 14/3/14 -26, 500, 000, 000:00; Certified State MDAs Balances – 28, 165, 985, 574.06; FGN Approved Refund – 10, 000, 000, 000:00- 91, 665, 985, 547.06 and Estimated liability including March salaries, pension and gratuity as well as approved certificates of of already executed projects-5, 000, 000, 000:00.NET BALANCE — 86, 665, 985, 547:06.”

The scratch of Governor Soludo and his men:

The Anambra State Government had same last week raised serious concerns and controversy, when it accused Obi of alleged false claims over N127bn debt, N2.13bn account.

It accused Obi of making false claims about the debt profile and financial records he left behind at the end of his tenure in 2014.

The government, in a statement by the Commissioner for Information and Value Reformation, Law Mefor, alleged that eight external loans contracted during Obi’s administration had an outstanding balance of N127.37 billion as of June 30, 2026, while also challenging his claim that he left over N2.13 billion in an ecological fund account.

The statement was issued in response to a recent post by Obi on what he described as “phantom debts and ecological loan fallacy,” which the former governor appeared to have made in reaction to the comments by the state Commissioner for Finance.

Mefor said the government considered it necessary to respond because the issues involved public funds and debts that the present administration was still servicing.

He said records from the Debt Management Office (DMO) showed that eight external loans obtained during Obi’s tenure remained outstanding as of June 30 this year.

The loans, according to the statement, were for the malaria control booster project, Third National FADAMA Development Project, Health System Development Project II, Malaria Control booster project (additional financing), State Education Programme Investment Project, Community and Social Development Project, Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project and Value Chain Development Project.

The government said the loans were originally valued at $123.77 million, while $92.35 million remained outstanding as of June 30 this year, equivalent to N127.37 billion.

The statement said Obi’s administration had contracted the loans for projects covering malaria control, education, healthcare, community development, erosion control and agricultural value-chain development.

The government said it was not opposed to borrowing where such funds were deployed to bankable projects and human capital development, adding that the current administration had continued to service the debts.

“We are not complaining. It is good for Anambra once we can show the impacts,” the statement quoted the government as saying.”

The government also claimed that Obi spent about $4.05 billion during his eight years in office, which it said would amount to about N5.4 trillion, when converted at the current official exchange rate.

It, however, acknowledged that governments could not be expected to complete all development projects within their tenure.

The government alleged that despite the expenditure, Obi left the state with challenges in areas, including public water supply, education, healthcare, insecurity and infrastructure.

It claimed that 44 per cent of communities in the state, amounting to 78 out of 179 communities, did not have public primary schools, while only about 27 per cent of residents patronised public health institutions.

The government also accused the former governor of leaving behind unpaid salary, pension and gratuity liabilities.

According to the statement, the current administration had cleared about N22 billion in inherited gratuity arrears owed to retired state and local government employees and teachers. It, however, said some legacy liabilities dating back to previous administrations remained outstanding.

The government specifically mentioned salary arrears owed to workers of the defunct Water Corporation, saying the current administration had negotiated a settlement and paid the first two installments of an agreed three-installment arrangement.

It also alleged that 16 months of salary arrears owed to primary school teachers under the local government system had been verified and certified during Obi’s administration, but that only five months were eventually paid.

The state government said it had constituted a committee headed by the Head of Service (HoS), to conduct a fresh verification of the outstanding liabilities.

The most contentious issue raised in the statement was Obi’s claim concerning an alleged N2.13 billion balance in a First Bank account at the UNIZIK branch in Awka.

The former governor had reportedly stated that he left more than N2.13 billion in the account when he left office on March 17, 2014, and challenged the state government to prove otherwise.

But Mefor said the government had obtained a certified statement of the account and discovered that it was an Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) consolidated revenue account, rather than an ecological fund account.

He further claimed that the account records showed no inflow or balance corresponding to N2.13 billion from the time the account was opened in 2011 to date.

The commissioner, therefore, challenged Obi to explain where the money was kept, arguing that the account he cited did not support the claim.

The government also dismissed the N75 billion savings or investment reportedly attributed to the former administration as “phantom”, noting that the claim had been disputed by the previous administration.

Mefor said the state government was responding to the former governor in the interest of transparency and accountability, insisting that it remained focused on delivering development to the people of Anambra.

In its own reaction, the Presidency did not wait a minute to come up with its whip when it asked Mr. Peter Obi to fulfill its threat to withdraw from the 2027 race over the alleged debts.

On Wednesday, the Presidency dared the NDC Presidential candidate to redeem his vow to withdraw from the 2027 race if it was established that his administration was found wanting in handling the finances of Anambra while he was in the saddle as governor.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, in a post on his X handle, was reacting to revelation that the former governor allegedly left a debt to the tune of N127 billion.

Onanuga tasked the NDC candidate to withdraw from the forthcoming general election as he claimed that Obi has been confronted with facts that he left arrears of teachers’ salaries and gratuities of pensioners for his successor to offset.

But Obi’s Media office, in a quick defence, said he would meet Nigerians, not surrogates and also dismissed calls by President Tinubu’s spokesperson for the presidential candidate of NDC to respond to documents released by the Anambra State government.

The Obi media office described the call as laughable and shameless, insisting that Obi would not be drawn into what it described as exchanges with political surrogates.

In a statement by its spokesman, Idris Zekeri (Jnr), the media office said Obi was focused on engaging directly with Nigerians as he seeks their support ahead of the 2027 general election.

“Peter Obi is on the road, meeting Nigerians, listening to their concerns, and asking for their mandate directly,” the statement said.

The office said Obi would not be distracted by individuals speaking on behalf of political leaders, adding that his campaign would remain focused on the concerns and aspirations of Nigerians.

It said the former governor would continue to engage citizens directly, rather than participate in what it described as endless exchanges with political proxies.

“Our campaign is about the people, not political noise,” the statement added. The media office maintained that Obi’s priority was to hear Nigerians, understand their challenges and present his vision for what it described as a better Nigeria.

It further said the mandate being sought by Obi belonged to the people and would therefore be sought directly from them.

“The mandate belongs to the people, and it will be sought from the people, not negotiated through proxies,” the statement said.

The office further said Obi would remain focused on issues, including the hardship facing Nigerians, their hopes and concerns, and the future they desire. “Let the surrogates talk. Obi will keep walking, meeting, and listening to Nigerians,” it added.