APC and Anambra Government Demand Peter Obi Withdraw From 2027 Race

The All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Government of Anambra State have demanded that Peter Gregory Obi, the presidential candidate for the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), withdraw from the 2027 presidential race. The demands follow financial disclosures from the Anambra State Government alleging that Obi's eight-year tenure as governor was marked by significant debt and unpaid wages, contradicting his public image of fiscal prudence.

APC spokesman Dele Alake and the Anambra State Government claim Obi spent approximately $4.05 billion and contracted $123.77 million in external loans. They further cited a 2006 memorandum regarding unpaid salaries for Water Corporation workers to argue that Obi violated a pledge to resign if he left the state with liabilities or unpaid wages. Commissioner for Information Law Mefor stated that external loans totaling N127.4 billion remained outstanding as of June 2026.

Obi has rejected these claims, asserting he cleared over N35 billion in inherited arrears and left office without outstanding liabilities. He further claimed a N2.13 billion erosion control account remained untouched, a point Law Mefor disputed. While Special Adviser to the President Bayo Onanuga urged Obi to honor his pledge to quit the race, Obi's media aide dismissed the Presidency's involvement as that of a "meddlesome interloper."

These attacks follow a separate dispute in Lagos, where the APC dismissed NDC predictions that Obi would defeat President Bola Tinubu by a wider margin in the 2027 election. APC officials argued that future success depends on policy and records rather than social media enthusiasm.