Former governor Peter Obi says his administration did not borrow from financial institutions or issue bonds and insists Anambra had sufficient funds to meet any legitimate outstanding obligations when he left office.

Former Anambra State Governor and Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has rejected claims that his administration left the state burdened with outstanding debts, insisting that there were sufficient funds to settle any legitimate liabilities when he handed over power in 2014.

Obi made the clarification during an interview while responding to claims by the administration of Governor Chukwuma Soludo that successive governments have continued to service loans incurred by previous administrations.

The former governor said his administration did not borrow from financial institutions or issue bonds on behalf of Anambra State during his eight years in office.

He also maintained that he left office in March 2014 without unpaid salaries, pensions or gratuities, as well as outstanding verified obligations to contractors.

According to Obi, even if any liabilities were attributed to his administration, the state had enough funds at the time to settle them without undermining its financial stability.

“Even if there was a debt, there was enough left to pay it, and the state would still be financially stable,” Obi said.

The Anambra State Government, however, has maintained that loans obtained during previous administrations, including those of Obi and his successor, Willie Obiano, remain subject to repayment through deductions from the state’s federal allocations.

The state government has also cited outstanding external loan obligations linked to Obi’s tenure.

Obi disputed the interpretation of the figures, arguing that funds that were approved or available under financing arrangements but not actually drawn should not be classified as debt incurred by the state.

He further maintained that Anambra was financially strong when he handed over power and had sufficient resources to meet any legitimate outstanding obligations.

The dispute over Anambra’s debt profile has remained part of the broader political debate over the financial records of successive administrations in the state, with the different sides offering contrasting interpretations of the loans and liabilities associated with previous governments.