Political analyst Dickson Iroegbu has criticised the Anambra State Government’s handling of the ongoing controversy over debts allegedly incurred during the administration of former Governor Peter Obi.
Iroegbu, who spoke on Arise Television’s Prime Time on Friday, alleged that Governor Chukwuma Soludo was using the debt controversy to target Obi, who is the 2027 presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC.
The dispute followed the release of records by the Anambra State Government alleging that Obi’s administration left outstanding external loans and other liabilities. The government said records from the Debt Management Office showed that eight external loans obtained during Obi’s tenure had an outstanding balance of N127.4 billion as of June 30, 2026.
Obi has rejected the allegations, maintaining that he left office without outstanding salaries, pensions, gratuities or liabilities to contractors for duly executed projects. He has also challenged the state government to substantiate its claims.
Reacting to the controversy, Iroegbu argued that Obi did not hand over directly to Soludo, who became governor in 2022 after Willie Obiano, and said records from the transition period should be examined in resolving the dispute.
“We know this is a political witch-hunt by Governor Chukwuma Soludo. It’s unfortunate, and we call it the crab mentality,” Iroegbu said.
He urged the Anambra Government to make available documents supporting its allegations rather than engaging in what he described as public posturing.
“The facts are there, and we challenge the government to stop playing to the gallery and release the documents that can be presented as evidence,” he added.
The Anambra Government has maintained that its figures were based on official debt records and has also disputed Obi’s claim that he left more than ₦2 billion in an ecological fund account.
The disagreement has continued to generate competing claims from both sides over the state’s financial position at the end of Obi’s tenure and the liabilities inherited by subsequent administrations.
