A leaked budget review by Podium Reporters has shattered Peter Obi’s carefully curated image as Nigeria’s frugal saviour, revealing how the former Anambra governor splurged public funds on Government House frivolities while preaching austerity.
Official records show total actual overhead for Government House ballooned from N4.56bn in 2012 to N7.23bn in 2013. Total recurrent expenditure hit N7.42bn against an approved N6.45bn; an extra N974m beyond approval. The overhead budget was exceeded by N1.33bn. “Other Services” surged from N3.46bn to N5.43bn, overshooting its N4.33bn budget by over N1.10bn.
Most damning: Government House traveling for training dropped from N428.5m to N390.6m; yet there was no approved budget for that line item in 2013. Obi spent over N390m on an unapproved expense while claiming he barely travels. Government House maintenance was budgeted at N260m but consumed N547.4m.
Governor Charles Soludo’s administration has repeatedly challenged Obi’s fiscal legacy. Anambra’s Finance Commissioner, Izuchukwu Okafor, revealed the state is still servicing loans inherited from Obi’s tenure, with monthly deductions from FAAC allocations. Soludo’s team also accused Obi of prioritising “wasteful spending on non-developmental projects such as conference centres, government houses and lodges”, the very things Obi now condemns.
Obi’s defenders claim he saved millions on renovation, but the numbers tell a darker story: a governor who preached sacrifice while his Government House feasted on Anambra’s treasury. Those who come to equity must come with clean hands.