Obi-Soludo: Yet Another Round of Political War

The recent political conflict between Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Nigerian Democratic Congress, and Chukwuma Soludo, the incumbent governor of Anambra State, has been fueled by disagreements over Obi's financial record during his tenure as governor. The controversy began with a podcast appearance by the Anambra State Commissioner for Finance, Izuchukwu Okafor, who claimed that the Soludo administration was still repaying loans taken by previous governments, including that of Obi.

This statement contradicted Obi's assertions about his time as governor, in which he boasted about leaving Anambra without any debt and with significant cash and investments. In response to the commissioner's comments, Obi challenged Soludo to prove him wrong, which led to the state government releasing a statement titled "Gov Peter Obi and Record of Public Debt in Anambra: Facts Beyond Propaganda and Lies."

The statement aimed to debunk Obi's claims by providing detailed information about the state's debt, including the $4.05 billion spent by Obi's administration over eight years and the $123.77 million in external debt. The government emphasized that debt was not inherently bad and that investing in projects such as water schemes, healthcare, and education was justifiable.

The statement also highlighted the state's poor infrastructure, inadequate healthcare facilities, and high poverty rates when Obi left office, arguing that borrowing for such projects was necessary.