Kenneth Okonkwo revises his earlier defence of Peter Obi’s debt record, citing new information released by the Anambra State Government
Kenneth Okonkwo, a chieftain of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, has withdrawn his earlier defence of former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi’s debt record, saying new information about the state’s financial obligations had changed his position.
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Okonkwo made the disclosure on TVC’s Sunday Politics programme on Sunday, September 27, 2026, while discussing the renewed controversy over debts and other liabilities allegedly linked to Obi’s administration.
The development marks a significant change from Okonkwo’s position during the 2023 presidential campaign, when he served as a spokesperson for Obi and publicly defended the former governor’s record.
“You know me, I’m a very passionate person in whatever I believe in. Let me tell you because I was misled,” Okonkwo said.
He recalled that during the 2023 campaign, he had told Nigerians that Obi left Anambra without outstanding debts, unpaid salaries, pensions or gratuities.
“There was a time I told Nigerians that Peter Obi was not owing anything, did not leave any debt, he was not owing any salary. No gratuity. No pension. And I said, go and verify,” he said.
Okonkwo said he could no longer stand by some of those earlier assertions following information subsequently released by the Anambra State Government.
The controversy intensified earlier this month after the Anambra government published details of eight external financing facilities it said were associated with projects undertaken during Obi’s tenure between 2006 and 2014.
According to figures released by the state government and attributed to Debt Management Office records, the eight facilities had a combined contracted value of about $123.77 million, with an outstanding balance of $92.35 million as of June 30, 2026.
The state valued the outstanding balance at about N127.4 billion at the official exchange rate.
The facilities were linked to projects including malaria control, education, healthcare, erosion management, community development and agricultural development.
The Anambra government has also alleged that unpaid salary and other liabilities from the period remained outstanding after Obi left office.
However, Obi has strongly disputed the interpretation of the figures. In a statement on September 25, he said he did not personally borrow money or issue bonds on behalf of Anambra during his tenure.
Obi argued that the $123.77 million figure represented the contracted value of several multilateral development programmes and should not be presented as a single debt incurred by his administration.
He also cited DMO figures which he said showed that Anambra’s external debt was about $18 million when he assumed office in March 2006 and approximately $30 million when he handed over power in March 2014.
Obi maintained that his administration left the state without outstanding salary, pension or gratuity obligations and challenged those disputing his record to provide evidence to the contrary. Punch Newspapers
The competing accounts have therefore centred partly on how multilateral financing arrangements should be classified and attributed, rather than simply on whether the facilities existed.
The Anambra government maintains that the loans were obligations inherited by subsequent administrations, while Obi argues that the government’s presentation combines different categories of financing and does not accurately represent the debt position he handed over in 2014.
Okonkwo’s latest comments add another dimension to the dispute because of his previous role in defending Obi during the 2023 presidential election.
Okonkwo is now the spokesperson of the Presidential Campaign Council of the ADC presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, for the 2027 election.
His revised position therefore comes as the debate over Obi’s record has resurfaced ahead of another presidential election.
The former actor-turned-politician said his willingness to change his position when presented with new information was part of his approach to public issues.
The dispute remains politically sensitive, with supporters of Obi defending his record and the Anambra government maintaining that its published documents demonstrate outstanding obligations inherited from his administration.
For now, the central disagreement remains unresolved, with the parties offering different interpretations of the available financial records and what they mean for Obi’s record as governor.
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Okonkwo’s admission, however, has changed the tone of his own position, as he now says he was misled when he previously assured Nigerians that Obi left Anambra without outstanding financial obligations.
