Anambra Debt Controversy: Peter Obi’s SSG Reacts, Releases Document

• Former Anambra SSG Oseloka Obaze said he was present when Peter Obi handed over a letter detailing N86.6bn in state funds to incoming governor Willie Obiano in 2014
• Obaze posted a copy of the handover letter on X, pointing to figures that covered local investments, foreign currency holdings, and federal government refunds
• The disclosure follows a fresh row between Obi and the Anambra state government over loans allegedly incurred during his time as governor

A former Secretary to the Anambra State Government (SSG), Oseloka Obaze, has publicly backed Peter Obi's claim that he left substantial funds behind when he exited office as governor in 2014, saying the Nigeria Democratic Congress presidential candidate handed over N86.6 billion to his successor.

Obaze, who served as SSG under Obi from 2006 to 2014, said in a post on X on Thursday, September 17, that he was personally present on March 17, 2014, when Obi gave a handover letter to then-incoming governor Willie Obiano.

"I was also present when Governor 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," he wrote.

Peter Obi: What the Handover Letter Showed

A review of the letter, which Obaze uploaded to X and which had been publicly available since Obi left office, shows it was titled "2014 Anambra State Handover Report" and dated March 17, 2014. According to the document, N27 billion was committed to local investments, N25.6 billion covered foreign currency investments worth about $156 million, N28.27 billion was the balance across state ministries, departments and agencies, and N10 billion was a federal government refund to the state. Together, these figures added up to N91.67 billion in total assets.

Obi noted in the letter that N5 billion had been set aside to cover outstanding liabilities, including March 2014 salaries, pensions, gratuities, and approved project certificates, bringing the net figure to N86.67 billion.

It is worth noting that Obiano's acknowledgement of receiving the letter does not automatically confirm that those funds were physically available in the treasury, and the two administrations did not jointly verify the financial records at the time.

Obiano's Own Admission and the Broader Dispute

Obaze recalled that during a 2017 governorship debate on Channels Television on November 12, 2017, Obiano had initially claimed Obi left no funds behind, before backing down when challenged.

Obiano, speaking on a separate Channels TV programme around the same period, appeared to walk back the denial, saying:

“My predecessor (Obi) left N9 billion in cash and N25.6 billion in script issues – these are sovereign wealth funds and shares in other banks,” he had responded when the programme anchor, Seun Okinbaloye, asked him for detail of what he met on ground.

The then-governor added: “If you put N9 billion to that (N25.6 billion), you get N35.5 billion, but he issued cheques worth over N15 billion before he left.”

Obaze also said the then-governor of Taraba state, Darius Ishaku, later told members of the Nigerian Press Corps that Obiano had privately told him Obi left "huge sums" that helped fund the construction of the Anambra Airport at Umueri.

The dispute over Anambra's finances was reignited recently after the state's Commissioner for Finance, Izuchukwu Okafor, said Governor Charles Soludo's administration was still repaying debts tied to Obi and previous governors. Obi denied owing any debt and said he saved over N75 billion during his tenure. The Anambra state government responded by releasing records showing his administration took eight external loans between 2007 and 2013, totalling $123.7 million, with an outstanding balance of $92.35 million.

Anambra Govt Raises Questions Over $127m Loans Linked to Obi

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the Anambra state government publicly challenged Obi over eight separate external borrowings taken during his time in office, putting the total figure at $127.4 million and demanding answers about who bears responsibility for repaying them.

The state government released the details via its official X account on Friday, September 18, framing the disclosure around a series of pointed questions directed at Obi, now a prominent national political figure.