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By Okey Maduforo Awka
The leadership of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) has expressed support for the position of the Anambra State Government on the debt profile and financial obligations inherited from the administration of former Governor Peter Obi.
Speaking on the issue, the National Chairman of APGA, Barr. Sylvester Ezeokenwa, said the matter should be treated as one of public record and accountability, rather than viewed through the prism of political rivalry.
He noted that both Obi and Governor Chukwuma Soludo are products of the APGA political family, stressing that the party’s responsibility is to protect the integrity of its records and ensure that the people of Anambra are presented with the facts.
“Much as our great party would not want to join issues with the supporters of the former Governor, it is important to distinguish between political contestation and matters that can be established from official records.
“This is not about Peter Obi’s political ambition, nor is it an attempt to diminish his contributions to Anambra State. It is about ensuring that claims concerning the state’s finances are subjected to the facts available in the records.”
Ezeokenwa recalled the claim by Obi that he left about N75 billion in the coffers of the state, noting that his successor, former Governor Willie Obiano, subsequently disputed the claim, saying he did not find such funds in the accounts of the state government.
He also cited outstanding contracts and other financial commitments reportedly entered into towards the end of the Obi administration, including foreign obligations, which he said formed part of what the succeeding administration inherited.
The APGA Chairman said the appropriate response to the current debate was therefore not to dismiss the findings, but to allow the records to speak for themselves.
“Peter Obi governed Anambra under the platform of APGA, and Governor Chukwuma Soludo is also governing under the same platform. As a party, we have no interest in rewriting history or turning our political heritage into a contest of personalities.
“Our concern is that the people of Anambra State deserve clarity. If there are differences between what was said at the time and what the records now show, those differences should be explained with facts rather than political rhetoric.”
Ezeokenwa therefore said APGA stands by the findings presented by the Soludo administration, while urging all concerned to approach the matter with restraint and allow the relevant records to provide the answers.
“The records of government belong to the people. They should neither be used as political weapons nor concealed for political convenience. Where questions arise, we should have the courage to examine them honestly and allow history and the records to speak,” he said.
