Onanuga Challenges Obi’s Record, Raises Questions Over Anambra Development

The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, has criticised the record of the Nigeria Democratic Congress presidential candidate, Peter Obi, as governor of Anambra State.

Onanuga, in a post on X, questioned what he described as the former governor’s record on infrastructure, security and development, while also revisiting the ongoing controversy over the financial liabilities allegedly left behind by Obi’s administration.

The comments followed the release of details by the Anambra State Government concerning loans and other liabilities it said were associated with Obi’s tenure between 2006 and 2014.

According to the state government, eight external loans linked to Obi’s administration remained outstanding, with the balance put at N127.4bn as of June 30, 2026. The government also alleged that there were unpaid salaries, pensions and gratuities when Obi left office.

Obi has rejected the allegations, saying his administration cleared more than N35bn in historical gratuities and arrears and left the state without outstanding salaries, pensions, gratuities or properly processed contractor payments. He also disputed the state government’s account of an ecological fund he said was left in a First Bank account for erosion control.

Onanuga said Obi’s record in Anambra should be examined beyond the former governor’s claims about the state’s finances.

He argued that Awka, the state capital, remained largely underdeveloped during Obi’s tenure and raised concerns about the administration’s handling of erosion and insecurity.

Onanuga also compared Obi’s record in Anambra with Tinubu’s tenure as governor of Lagos State, pointing to projects including the development associated with Eko Atlantic and the Lekki Free Trade Zone as examples of initiatives he said demonstrated a different scale of development ambition.

The Presidency aide further argued that Obi’s political record should be subjected to scrutiny as he seeks the presidency in 2027.

His comments come amid an increasingly public dispute between Obi and the Anambra State Government over the former governor’s financial record.

The Anambra government has maintained that records from the Debt Management Office support its claims about outstanding loans, while Obi has insisted that he left the state’s finances in order.