A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Kenneth Okonkwo, has reopened the debate over the financial record of former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi, saying he changed his position after what he described as the emergence of new information about the state’s debt obligations.
Okonkwo, who served as Obi’s spokesman during the 2023 presidential campaign, said he could no longer repeat some of the claims he previously made in defence of the former governor because he had relied on information that he later considered incomplete.
The former Labour Party campaign figure made the disclosure during an appearance on Sunday Politics, a programme on Television Continental (TVC), where he explained that he was willing to adjust his position whenever new facts emerged.
“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 presidential election campaign, he had defended Obi against allegations that his administration left behind debts, unpaid salaries, pensions or gratuities after leaving office.
According to him, he had at the time challenged critics to verify those claims.
“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.
However, Okonkwo said subsequent claims by the Anambra State Government had changed his understanding of the issue.
He cited the government’s position that Obi’s administration obtained eight loans and that workers at the state-owned water corporation were owed salary arrears.
“The fact is Anambra State Government said he borrowed eight loans. The fact is that Anambra State said that at the water corporation, he was owing workers there, all the salaries, all the arrears. I cannot say the same thing that I said about Peter Obi in 2023,” he stated.
The comments come amid a continuing disagreement between Obi and the Anambra State Government over the state’s debt profile and financial obligations inherited from previous administrations.
The controversy followed remarks by Anambra State Commissioner for Finance, Izuchukwu Okafor, who said the state was still servicing loans obtained under previous administrations, including those of Obi and his successor, Willie Obiano.
Obi has rejected the claims, insisting that he left office without outstanding debts, unpaid salaries, pension liabilities or unpaid contractor obligations.
The former governor also maintained that his administration left behind N2.1 billion in ecological funds for the state.
The Anambra State Government, however, disputed the claim, alleging that Obi left about $123.77 million in debtand stating that it had no record of the ecological fund referenced by the former governor.
The government later released documents relating to N363.38 million in salary arrears, which it said were inherited from the Obi administration.
Beyond the Anambra debt controversy, Okonkwo also reflected on his previous defence of Obi’s family during public discussions surrounding the reported value of a wristwatch allegedly worn by a son of President Bola Tinubu.
He said he had previously defended Obi’s family against criticism, insisting that his assessment of public figures must be guided by available facts.
Explaining his approach ahead of the 2027 election cycle, Okonkwo said his role would now involve greater scrutiny of political records.
“That’s why I said in 2023, I campaigned for them as the examination in chief. In 2027, it’s going to be a cross-examination,” he said.
Okonkwo’s comments are expected to fuel further debate among political observers as parties and politicians begin shaping their messages ahead of the 2027 elections, with issues of governance records, accountability and public trust likely to remain central themes.
