SOLUDO AND THE OBI OBSESSION

Governor Chukwuma Soludo appears increasingly fixated on his predecessor, Peter Obi. While disagreement and scrutiny are normal in politics, Soludo's preoccupation with Obi's twelve-year-old administration raises questions about the nature of their relationship. Disagreement should be legitimate, but when a sitting governor repeatedly scrutinises a predecessor, especially when that predecessor is a presidential candidate, the exercise may be more about contemporary politics than historical accounting.

The latest controversy involves loans allegedly inherited from Obi's administration. Anambra officials claim eight external facilities from his tenure remain partially outstanding, while Obi denies this characterization. Yet, approved facilities, actual drawdowns and outstanding balances are distinct concepts. The DMO figures reveal Anambra's entire external debt stock was about $30.32 million in December 2013.

Several of the disputed facilities were part of federal sovereign facilities in which Anambra participated, not ordinary commercial loans. Peter Obi has been subjected to relentless scrutiny, with his investments, savings, schools, roads, pensions, bank accounts, debts, lifestyle, academic history, and eight years in office picked apart.

This scrutiny has become a permanent feature of his politics, but it does not canonise Obi or render every claim he makes correct. Soludo's persistence may stem from irritation, but without knowing another man's heart, allegations of jealousy remain speculative. However, considering Soludo is not running for president, his interventions cannot be divorced from the electoral context.

The debate shifts between investments and electability to loans and liabilities, but the protagonist remains unchanged. Soludo, a distinguished economist, should understand the distinction between stock and flow, approval and disbursement, gross liabilities and net financial position, and inherited obligations and newly created liabilities.

These distinctions should clarify the controversy. Instead, political rhetoric threatens to simplify the issues. For Nigerian politicians, the danger often lies in the hidden ledger, and Soludo's continued scrutiny of Obi's record may be a reflection of this. In Nigerian politics, transparency is crucial, and Soludo should allow evidence, not insinuation, to shape the historical record. Obi should respond to legitimate questions, and Nigerians should judge the records themselves.