The All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council has challenged the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, to abandon his 2027 presidential ambition if it is established that his administration left liabilities in Anambra State.

The council renewed its call on the former Anambra State governor to honour an earlier pledge to withdraw from the presidential race if financial records prove that his administration left behind outstanding liabilities.

In a statement issued on Friday, the council’s spokesman, Dele Alake, insisted that financial records of Anambra State had established the existence of liabilities linked to Obi’s administration.

“We again call on Peter Obi to act honourably and honour his earlier pledge to exit the 2027 presidential race if it is proven that his administration left behind liabilities in Anambra State — a fact now clearly established by the state’s financial records,” Alake said.

The statement, however, did not identify the specific liabilities allegedly left by Obi’s administration or provide details of the financial records cited to substantiate the claim.

The challenge comes as political parties and opposition figures intensify preparations and alignments ahead of the 2027 general election, with Obi remaining a prominent figure in discussions about the next presidential contest.

The APC council also criticised Obi over his claim that he won the 2023 presidential election, challenging him to provide evidence to support the assertion.

Alake’s reaction followed a recent interview Obi granted the BBC, during which the former governor reportedly said: “I don’t like going back to the past. I won the last election. There’s no evidence, but I won the election. Everything is not based on evidence.”

Faulting the remark, Alake said Obi’s insistence that he won the election, despite acknowledging that he had no evidence to support the claim, contradicted official records of the poll.

“For a candidate who placed a distant third in the presidential poll to persistently insist he won — without evidence and contrary to all official records — reflects a deep and troubling disconnection from reality and absolute disregard for facts and truth,” he said.

The APC council maintained that President Bola Tinubu won the 2023 presidential election, citing the declaration by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and subsequent judicial decisions affirming the result.

Obi finished third in the 2023 presidential election behind Tinubu and the Peoples Democratic Party’s candidate, Atiku Abubakar. He has remained a prominent opposition figure amid continuing political debate over the election outcome and the country’s political direction ahead of 2027.

The latest exchange highlights the growing contest between the ruling party and opposition figures over political credibility, past records in public office and competing claims ahead of the presidential poll.