The 2027 presidential battle in Anambra has taken a sharper turn as the camps of Governor Chukwuma Soludo and former governor Peter Obi clashed over the state’s votes.
The Anambra State Government on Monday urged voters to reject Obi and the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) in the 2027 presidential election.
The call drew a fierce response from Obi’s camp, which accused the Soludo administration of using political attacks to divert attention from questions about governance and the management of public funds.
The exchange has intensified the battle for votes in Anambra, where the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) has endorsed President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid.
The NDC, however, declared that it would “win big” in Anambra despite the opposition from the state government.
In a post titled “A Betrayal Alert for Ndi APGA” on its official X account, managed by Soludo’s New Media Office, the state government accused Obi of working against the party that brought him to power.
It urged APGA supporters to resist Obi and his new political platform.
The government alleged that Obi had one mission since 2014: to destroy the party that produced him as governor.
It recalled that while Tinubu stood with APGA in 2015, Obi backed the opposition, which it said was an attempt to bury the party.
The government warned APGA supporters not to be deceived by Obi, insisting that “Anambra is APGA” and urging members to defend the party and resist the NDC.
It further alleged that Obi was seeking the support of Anambra voters while undermining APGA’s political base.
The state government declared that a vote for Obi and the NDC would amount to a vote against APGA.
It urged party faithful to remain loyal to APGA and support the Soludo administration, citing its projects and policies in infrastructure, education, healthcare and security.
The government also said Ndi Anambra must not allow anyone to destroy the political platform that gave them a voice and produced governors for the state.
However, Obi’s media team, POMR, dismissed the allegations as a diversion from the performance of the state government.
It challenged the Soludo administration to face governance and account for Anambra’s resources.
POMR accused the administration of deploying Obi’s name to distract residents from concerns over public spending, infrastructure and basic services.
The group urged the government to publish details of its expenditure and explain how resources allocated to the state had been used.
POMR maintained that Obi had never worked against the interests of Anambra or its people.
It said his political decisions reflected his commitment to good governance and the welfare of Nigerians.
The group also argued that Obi’s record as governor remained a reference point for residents.
It added that his support across the country was based on his performance and commitment to public accountability.
Joining the exchange, the NDC Director of New Media and Strategic Communications, Theo Abu Agada, accused the state government of resorting to blackmail because it felt threatened by Obi’s popularity.
Agada said the Anambra State Government was threatened by the growing popularity of Obi and the NDC in Anambra and beyond.
He said he understood the government’s “mad obsession,” but insisted that the NDC would win big in Anambra.
Agada also said there was nothing Soludo and his supporters in APGA could do to stop the NDC.
He argued that since the government could not challenge Obi on governance records, it had resorted to what he described as cheap blackmail.
The confrontation comes amid a continuing dispute over Anambra’s financial position when Obi left office.
The Soludo administration has alleged that Anambra was still repaying loans obtained by previous administrations, including those of Obi and his successor, Willie Obiano.
The Commissioner for Information and Value Reorientation, Law Mefor, said Obi left $123.77 million in external debt.
Mefor also disputed Obi’s claim that his administration left N2.1 billion in ecological funds, saying there was no evidence that the money was kept in First Bank.
Obi rejected the government’s presentation of the facilities as “debt owed by Peter Obi.”
He explained that the facilities were principally World Bank and International Fund for Agricultural Development programmes negotiated by the Federal Government and accessed by participating states through subsidiary arrangements.
Obi argued that the amounts approved, the sums actually drawn and the balances outstanding when he left office should be treated separately.
He said the government had combined those distinct categories and described the resulting $123.77 million as loans left by his administration, which he said was an incorrect application of public-sector accounting.
Obi maintained that he did not personally approach any financial institution to borrow money or issue a bond on behalf of Anambra State.
He also said his administration left no unpaid salaries, pensions or contractors.
The former governor further ruled out seeking another term as governor, even if the Constitution were amended to permit it.
The political disagreement comes against the backdrop of APGA’s decision to support Tinubu in 2027.
Soludo declared his backing for Tinubu in 2025, citing their longstanding friendship and the Federal Government’s economic reforms.
APGA subsequently endorsed Tinubu in July.
The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Ejimofor Opara, said the decision followed extensive consultations and a resolution of the party’s National Executive Committee.
Obi governed Anambra on the APGA platform before leaving the party in 2014 for the Peoples Democratic Party.
He later moved to the Labour Party, under which he contested the 2023 presidential election.
For the 2027 election, Obi is now the presidential candidate of the NDC.
With APGA backing Tinubu and Obi leading the NDC presidential ticket, the latest confrontation has further raised the stakes in the battle for Anambra’s presidential votes.
