Some Nigerians have criticised Governor Charles Soludo of Anambra State for his recent debt claims and constant attacks on the 2027 presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi.
PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported that the Commissioner for Finance in the state, Izuchukwu Okafor, claimed during a podcast that Governor Soludo’s administration was still repaying loans and other debts incurred by Mr Obi and other past governors of the state.
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Mr Obi served as the governor of Anambra State from 2006 to 2014 when he handed over to Willie Obiano.
Mr Soludo succeeded Mr Obiano in 2022.
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Peter Obi’s response
In his first response during an interview in Washington, DC, USA, Mr Obi maintained that he was not owing any debt in Anambra when he left office as governor of the state.
“As at the day I left office, I was not owing any salary, pension, or gratuity that Anambra state government is supposed to pay,” he said.
Continuing, the NDC candidate added: “I was not owing any supplier or contractor that had executed his job and his documents processed, not one.
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“The day I left office; I paid what was due to be paid. I wasn’t owing any contractors.”
In his second response via his Facebook post on Tuesday, Mr Obi reiterated that he did not incur any debt as governor but rather saved over N75 billion in the state’s First Bank account number which he provided.
The NDC candidate then challenged Mr Soludo’s administration to prove him otherwise and he would stop his presidential ambition.
‘Accept the challenge; your attacks on Obi difficult to understand’
Following Mr Obi’s response, some Nigerians have now asked Mr Soludo to accept the challenge and prove his debt allegations against the NDC candidate.
In his Facebook post on Tuesday, Afam Achebe, who says he was currently based in Canada, argued that Mr Soludo whom he once admired for his scholarship has since become a different person since joining politics.
Mr Achebe then criticised the governor for his “repeated attacks” on Mr Obi.
“Your repeated attacks on Peter Obi are becoming difficult to understand. He did not hand over to you, and he is not contesting Anambra governorship with you.
“Yet, each time you come at him, you give him another opportunity to defend his record with clean facts,” he said.
He then urged Mr Soludo to accept the challenge from Mr Obi over the ecological funds claims.
“On this latest allegation, Obi has stated where the N2 billion ecological fund was kept, provided the bank and account details, and challenged anyone with contrary evidence to produce it, even saying he would stop campaigning if proved wrong.
“That is a serious challenge. Bring the evidence,” he said.
Mr Achebe also praised Mr Obi for asking educational institutions he attended to release his academic records and certificates in a country where politicians ask courts to restrict release of such records.
Turning to Mr Soludo, he said “ Prof., at this point, these repeated attacks increasingly come across as envy and jealousy.
“And if this is somehow about getting the attention of APC or positioning yourself for a future presidential or VP ticket, I doubt that strategy will deliver the outcome you expect.
“Mr Peter Obi is no longer in your political league. His contest is national. Please focus on Anambra. Build. Deliver. Let your performance speak.”
Another Facebook user, who simply identified himself as Kaa, asked Mr Soludo to prove Mr Obi wrong with transaction details on the First Bank account number provided by the NDC candidate.
“Mr Governor, seeing how eagerly you have worked to tarnish Peter Obi’s name and turn Nigerians against him, this is your opportunity to kick him off the ballot.
“He has refuted your claim. He has provided the bank, the account details and the amount he says was left there.
“Simply obtain the relevant account statement and present it to Nigerians,” he told the Anambra governor.
“If the money was not there as he claims, that should be the end of Peter Obi’s political career – by his own challenge.”
Mr Kaa, however, said if Mr Soludo fails to prove his allegations against Mr Obi, he would pray to God to forgive the governor for his “ravaging bitterness and envy” against the NDC candidate.
READ ALSO: ‘I’ll stop campaigning if you prove I left debt,’ Peter Obi challenges Soludo
“The evidence should settle this. Over to you, Mr. Governor. This should be an easy win for you,” he wrote.
On his part, a Nigerian lawyer and public affairs analyst, Darlington Agomuo, praised Mr Obi for challenging Mr Soludo to prove his debt claims.
“How many governors or politicians can come out and say this? This is what I have always loved about Obi,” Mr Agomuo said while appearing as a guest on Voice of People TV on Tuesday.
The lawyer asked Mr Soludo to accept the challenge and then cautioned him against “de-marketing himself to please his pay masters” through his frequent attacks on Mr Obi.
“Soludo should be very careful. If you want to climb your political ladder, go ahead and leave Peter Obi alone,” he told the governor.
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