The Anambra State Government has released a 2024 out-of-court settlement document in its ongoing dispute with the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, over alleged unpaid salaries and other financial obligations from his tenure as governor.
The state government released the document in a post on its official X account on Wednesday, presenting it as evidence to challenge Obi’s claim that he left office without outstanding salaries, pensions, gratuities or other financial liabilities.
The document, titled “Terms of Settlement,” was signed on February 6, 2024, between the Anambra State Government and the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service, Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE).
According to the state government, the settlement concerned outstanding issues involving the defunct Anambra State Water Corporation and the Anambra State Environmental Protection Agency (ANSEPA).
In its post, the government specifically cited the settlement as evidence of outstanding obligations associated with the state’s Water Corporation.
“The Water Corporation Arrears — The Evidence: Peter Obi Lied. 14 years later, Soludo entered an out-of-court settlement with the Water Corporation over salaries Obi refused to pay for 8 years. Soludo is now clearing the backlog. Obi knows; we know he lied,” the government wrote.
The latest development is part of an escalating dispute between the state government and Obi over the financial record of his administration, which governed Anambra State from 2006 to 2013.
READ ALSO:Peter Obi Denies Inheriting Debts, Challenges Anambra Government
The state government had previously challenged Obi’s claim that he left Anambra without debt or unpaid financial obligations.
It also referenced Obi’s reported statement that he would withdraw from the 2027 presidential race if anyone could establish that he left the state in debt.
Obi, however, has rejected the allegations and maintained that his administration inherited substantial arrears from previous governments.
The former governor has also said his administration made efforts to clear historical financial obligations inherited from earlier administrations.
“We systematically liquidated historical gratuities and arrears dating back several years, amounting to over N35 billion,” Obi said.
The latest exchange has brought renewed attention to the financial records of Obi’s tenure in Anambra, with the state government relying on the 2024 settlement document to support its position, while Obi maintains that his administration addressed inherited liabilities.
The dispute comes as Obi campaigns under the NDC platform ahead of the 2027 presidential election, with his record in Anambra increasingly featuring in political discussions surrounding his candidacy.
