Former Secretary to the Anambra State Government (SSG), Oseloka Obaze, has publicly confirmed that Peter Obi, the Labour Party presidential candidate, handed over N86.6 billion in state funds to incoming governor Willie Obiano on March 17, 2014. Obaze, who served under Obi from 2006 to 2014, made the disclosure in a post on X on Thursday, September 17, and released a copy of the handover letter to back his claim.
Obaze wrote that he was personally present during the handover ceremony at the Anambra State Government House, Awka, when Obi presented the letter to Obiano. He stated that Obiano received and signed an acknowledgement for his own copy of the letter, which included annexed certified bank statements, related documents, and the Handover Report.
Details of the 2014 Handover Letter
The handover letter, titled "2014 Anambra State Handover Report" and dated March 17, 2014, was uploaded by Obaze on X. A review of the document shows that N27 billion was committed to local investments, while N25.6 billion covered foreign currency investments worth approximately $156 million. The balance across state ministries, departments, and agencies stood at N28.27 billion, and a federal government refund to the state amounted to N10 billion, bringing total assets to N91.67 billion.
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. This brought the net figure to N86.67 billion. Obaze pointed out that the letter had been publicly available since Obi left office, but the recent dispute over Anambra's finances prompted its renewed circulation.
Obiano's Admission and the Ongoing Dispute
Obaze recalled that during a governorship debate on Channels Television on November 12, 2017, Obiano initially claimed Obi left no funds behind, but later backed down when challenged. On a separate Channels TV programme around the same period, Obiano 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 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 revealed that 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. This admission contradicts the earlier denial and adds weight to Obi's claim of leaving substantial funds behind.
Anambra Government's Counter-Claims
The dispute over Anambra's finances was reignited recently when 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.
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. The ongoing disagreement highlights the lack of joint verification of financial records between the Obi and Obiano administrations, leaving questions about the actual availability of funds unresolved.
