Senator Adams Oshiomhole has questioned Peter Obi’s claim that he left about $150 million in Anambra State’s treasury at the end of his tenure as governor, challenging how the funds were accumulated when federal allocations to states were paid in naira.
Oshiomhole, who represents Edo North and is a former governor of Edo State and national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), raised the questions during an interview with Symfoni TV published on Thursday.
He said he and Obi were members of the National Economic Council, chaired by the vice-president, when state governors proposed that federal allocations be paid in dollars to address differences between official and market exchange rates.
According to Oshiomhole, the Federal Government rejected the proposal, maintaining that the naira was Nigeria’s recognised currency.
“Where did you get dollars to save? Did you receive naira from Abuja and go to bid for dollars to save for Anambra state?” he asked.
Oshiomhole Challenges Obi’s No-Debt Claim
The senator also disputed Obi’s assertion that he did not borrow while serving as Anambra governor, arguing that World Bank facilities could constitute loans even where repayment was deferred.
Oshiomhole said he accessed similar facilities while governing Edo State, including arrangements described as budget support.
“If you are not paying it immediately, it’s not a loan? It’s in the books, and a future government will necessarily pay it anyway,” he said.
He argued that repayment moratoriums could allow an outgoing administration to leave office before its loan obligations become due, leaving a successor government to make the repayments.
Oshiomhole said he believed this was the point Anambra Governor Chukwuma Soludo had sought to make in discussing Obi’s financial record.
He also criticised claims surrounding Obi’s borrowing history, referring to a reception organised by the director-general of the Debt Management Office (DMO) to acknowledge the former governor for allegedly not applying for loan approvals.
Oshiomhole described the claim as “another lie” but did not provide further details in the interview excerpt to substantiate the allegation.
Obi Maintains He Left Anambra Without Debt
Obi, who governed Anambra State for two terms before leaving office in 2014, has maintained that he did not burden the state with debt.
He reiterated his position in a recent interview with Arise TV while responding to allegations that he left outstanding loans and other liabilities.
However, Law Mefor, Anambra’s commissioner for information and value reorientation, previously said Obi left an external debt of $123.77 million at the end of his tenure.
The competing claims over the state’s finances have centred on the distinction between funds reportedly retained in the treasury and liabilities allegedly outstanding when Obi handed over power.
Oshiomhole’s latest comments add to the public dispute over Obi’s fiscal record, particularly the nature of the reported dollar savings, the treatment of deferred loan obligations and the extent of any debt inherited by subsequent administrations.
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