A fresh exchange over Anambra State’s financial records has drawn attention from the Presidency, the state government, and former governor Peter Obi, as competing accounts emerge over debts, liabilities, and funds allegedly left at the end of his administration.

The dispute intensified on Wednesday after the Presidency responded to comments by Obi, who had maintained that he left office in 2014 without outstanding salary, pension, or gratuity obligations. Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, challenged the former governor to stand by his earlier statement that he would withdraw from the presidential race if evidence showed otherwise.

The reaction followed claims by the Anambra State Government concerning liabilities it says were inherited from the previous administration. The state government had alleged outstanding obligations involving areas such as workers’ payments, pensions, and other financial commitments, claims Obi has disputed.

Obi, who is the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, said his administration cleared more than ₦35 billion in historical gratuities and arrears before leaving office. He also rejected claims regarding an ecological fund, arguing that more than ₦2.13 billion remained available for addressing the Oko and Umuchiana erosion challenges.

Responding to that claim, Anambra State Commissioner for Information and Value Reformation, Law Mefor, said the account referenced by Obi was not an ecological fund account but an Internally Generated Revenue Consolidated Revenue Account. The commissioner said the state obtained a certified printout of the account and found no record of the amount cited.

The Presidency’s intervention has now brought renewed focus to the importance of transparency in public financial records and how past administrations account for government resources. Both sides have continued to present different interpretations of the state’s financial position during the period under review.

The disagreement remains centred on documents, figures, and interpretations of Anambra’s financial records, with calls from both political camps for evidence to support their respective positions. The matter continues to attract public attention as discussions around governance, accountability, and fiscal responsibility remain part of the wider political conversation.