The All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential campaign council has asked Peter Obi, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) 2027 presidential candidate, to quit the race over his poor performance during his two-term tenure as Anambra State governor.

The council, in a statement by its spokesman, Dele Alake, on Monday, said, “In the past four years, Mr Peter Obi and his supporters packaged Obi’s tenure as Anambra governor as one defined by exceptional fiscal prudence, including the claim that he left Anambra without a debt burden. 

“Obi himself was presented as a squeaky-clean politician. But it has all emerged as a well-packaged lie. Indeed, if Peter Obi has any honour, he must resign from the 2027 presidential race forthwith, in keeping with his promise to end his run if it is proven that his administration left behind liabilities in Anambra.”

Mr Obi and Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s administration have been at loggerheads over the state’s financial records and the former’s legacy as state governor.

Accusing Mr Obi of falsehood, the council noted, “The facade of falsehood built around Peter Obi, the NDC presidential candidate, has now been torn to shreds, with Obi’s persona deconstructed after disclosures by the Anambra State government, which responded to Obi’s challenge to verify his record. According to the Anambra State government, the former governor spent about $4.05 billion, or N5.4 trillion, over his eight years in office and contracted $123.77 million in external loans,” the council stated.

“The state also revealed that, as of when Obi left office on March 17, 2014, there were eight different external borrowings for malaria, erosion control, education, and healthcare, and that subsequent administrations, including Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s, continued to service the debt,” it added.

The council further described Mr Obi as a pathetic liar and mediocre governor unfit for leadership anywhere.

“Borrowing is not injudicious if used for development. But for a man who prides himself on being austere and has frequently claimed he left the state with a clean bill of health, the revelations confirmed what has long been held: Obi is an irredeemable liar, a mediocre governor, unfit for leadership anywhere.

“Even more confounding is that despite these borrowings, Obi has nothing to show for his stewardship across Anambra’s sectors. He failed to pay workers’ salaries in some ministries. Water Corporation staff were among those who protested over unpaid salaries,” it stated.

The APC campaign advised the NDC chieftain to purge himself of his lies and seek the forgiveness of the Anambra people instead of galloping around platforms.

“What should even be more concerning for Obi’s followers is Obi’s recent solidarity visit to someone facing an EFCC trial for unexplained wealth and monumental corruption,” it added.