Public affairs analyst Donald Okwuosa has described Anambra State Governor Charles Soludo's debt allegations against former presidential candidate Peter Obi as more politically motivated than financially grounded, arguing that the timing of the claims points squarely at the 2027 elections.
Legit.ng reports that the Anambra government obtained a certified bank printout to challenge Obi's claim that he left ₦2.13bn ecological fund before leaving office. Okwuosa, who analysed the dispute, said Soludo's camp is trying to erode Obi's well-known reputation for fiscal discipline, while Obi's supporters are working to defend that image by producing counter-evidence.
Analyst's Conditions for Soludo's Claims to Hold
Okwuosa argued that if Soludo's team wants their claims to hold up, they must release the Debt Management Office (DMO) debt profile breakdown as it stood on March 17, 2014, rather than relying on current naira figures, which he said are inflated by foreign exchange movements. He also said Obi himself has not clearly addressed the World Bank loans question, noting that Obi appears to have only disputed debts in the salary and contractor sense, not the existence of those loans outright.
On Soludo's own record, Okwuosa acknowledged that the governor has genuinely reduced Anambra's debt by over 83% without taking new commercial bank loans, a point he described as strong enough to stand on its own without any comparison to Obi.
Timing Raises Questions About Motive
Despite conceding that Soludo "may be right in a way," Okwuosa said the governor's broader political posture complicates the message. He noted that Soludo views votes cast for Obi in the last election as wasted, believing that if the Igbo political bloc had backed President Bola Tinubu instead, the southeast would have received greater federal attention. Some observers, Okwuosa added, see the attack as driven by jealousy rather than genuine public interest.
The analyst described the debt allegations as "highly unnecessary and insensitive" given the current moment. "Even though he may be right, it is now being perceived as a witch hunt," Okwuosa said. "The timing makes it appear deliberate as a pulldown motive."
Obi's Response to the Debt Controversy
Meanwhile, Legit.ng also reported that Peter Obi publicly addressed two controversies, an alleged falling-out with Governor Soludo and debt claims tied to his time as Anambra governor. The Anambra State Government said eight external borrowings linked to Obi's tenure had $92.35m outstanding as of June 30, 2026.
Obi questioned how the $123.77m figure was calculated, citing DMO records that showed far lower figures when he left office in 2014. The dispute continues as both sides present their evidence, with Okwuosa challenging Soludo's team to release the 2014 DMO records and clarify the World Bank loans.
