Former Anambra State governor Peter Obi’s recent claim that he left office in March 2014 without owing any contractor, supplier, pensioner, or public servant has been found to be misleading, according to a thorough fact check by Hobnob News Nigeria.
In a widely circulated June 2025 interview with Arise TV, Obi stated, “The day I left office, I was not owing one contractor, one supplier who had executed his job… I was not owing gratuity. I was not owing pension. I left salary enough to pay salary for three months.” This statement quickly gained traction on social media platforms like X and Facebook, with many citing it as evidence of Obi’s fiscal responsibility.
However, an examination of official financial records reveals a different picture.
Debt Figures Contradict Obi’s Claims
Data from the Debt Management Office (DMO), Nigeria’s authoritative body on subnational debt, show that as of December 31, 2013—less than three months before Obi left office—Anambra State carried an external debt of $30,323,574.40 and a domestic debt totaling ₦3,025,797,046.67.
These figures reflect formal liabilities that were outstanding at the time of Obi’s departure. The DMO’s records are centrally verified and not self-reported by states, giving them substantial credibility.
Budget Reports Confirm Ongoing Liabilities
Additional fiscal documents from Anambra State’s 2013–2014 budget and fiscal strategy also indicate the presence of debt obligations, including federally approved loans and internally generated debts. While the state under Obi’s tenure reportedly met salary obligations and completed projects, these reports show that the government managed ongoing financial liabilities.
Semantic Nuance or Factual Oversight?
Obi’s statement appears to make a technical distinction between unpaid contractual liabilities—such as outstanding invoices or arrears—and formal public debt. It is possible he meant that no contractors or civil servants were owed money at the time of his exit.
However, his absolute phrasing—that he was “not owing anybody” and that anyone could verify this claim—fails to acknowledge the existence of formal state debts recorded by the DMO.
Verdict: Misleading
While Peter Obi may have settled operational debts related to salaries and contractors, the assertion that he left Anambra State entirely debt-free does not hold up against verified data. The state carried both domestic and external debts upon his exit in March 2014.
A more precise claim would have distinguished between operational arrears and formal state debt obligations.
