Kenneth Okonkwo Revises Stance on Peter Obi's Debt Claims

Kenneth Okonkwo, a chieftain of the African Democratic Congress and spokesman for the presidential campaign council of Atiku Abubakar, stated he was misled in his previous defense of former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi concerning claims of outstanding debts. During an appearance on Sunday Politics on Television Continental, Okonkwo admitted he could no longer support his earlier assertions that Obi left no debts or unpaid salaries when he left office.

He referenced recent disclosures from the Anambra State Government, which claimed that Obi's administration had taken out eight loans and that workers at the state-owned water corporation were owed salaries and arrears. The Anambra State Government reported that these loans had a combined contracted value of $123.77 million, with $92.35 million outstanding as of June 30, 2026.

Obi has contested this characterization, asserting that the figures represent various categories of multilateral development financing and that the state's external debt was approximately $30 million when he left office in March 2014.