Faults Anambra government’s debt claims

Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has challenged fellow 2027 presidential contenders to open their academic records to legitimate public scrutiny, declaring that candidates seeking Nigerians’ trust must have nothing to hide.
 
Obi made the challenge while responding to reports of legal proceedings seeking Certified True Copies of his academic records from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, where he obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy in 1984.
 
The former Anambra State governor said he had no objection to the release of his certificates, admission records and other academic documents by UNN or any other institution he attended, provided the requests complied with the law.
 
In a statement, Obi said: “I have absolutely no objection to the legitimate release of these records,” urging the university to make his records available upon any lawful request.
 
He also extended the request to other educational institutions he attended in Nigeria and abroad, saying he was prepared to submit his credentials to the level of scrutiny reasonably expected of anyone seeking the presidency.
 
Obi’s position effectively turned the certificate controversy into a broader challenge over transparency among those seeking to govern Nigeria in 2027.
 
He said public scrutiny should not be regarded as an attack or inconvenience but as an opportunity to strengthen public confidence and rebuild Nigerians’ trust in political leaders.
 
“As a presidential candidate seeking the trust of Nigerians, I welcome legitimate scrutiny of my educational background, qualifications and public record,” he said.
 
The NDC candidate, however, cautioned that scrutiny must be lawful, fair, and applied consistently to all presidential candidates.
 
“The same standard of transparency should apply to every presidential candidate, without exception,” he said.
 
Obi further argued that candidates seeking the highest political office must demonstrate, through their actions, that they have nothing to conceal from the electorate.

Meanwhile, the NDC Presidential candidate has rejected claims by the Anambra State government that his administration left behind debts, including a N2 billion ecological loan, contractor liabilities and unpaid salaries, gratuities and pensions.
 
Obi, in a statement on X yesterday, described the claims as “completely false,” saying his administration had cleared more than N35 billion in historical gratuities and arrears and handed over the state without outstanding salary, pension or gratuity obligations.
 
“At the point of handover, the state owed nothing in salaries, gratuities, or pensions, nor did we owe anything to any contractor for projects duly executed and certified,” he added.
 
The former Anambra governor was reacting to claims by the state government that the administration of Governor Chukwuma Soludo was still servicing debts incurred by previous administrations, including those of Obi and former Governor Willie Obiano.  

Anambra State Commissioner for Finance, Izuchukwu Okafor, said the Soludo administration had not borrowed from any commercial bank since assuming office but had continued to service inherited loans.

Okafor said deductions were being made from the state’s Federation Account Allocation Committee funds to repay loans obtained by previous administrations, while noting that the government had reduced the state’s debt burden by more than 83 per cent.
 
But Obi specifically disputed the claim concerning the N2 billion ecological fund, explaining that the money was released shortly before he left office for the Oko/Umuchiana erosion crisis.