Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), has mourned veteran Nigerian actor Olu Jacobs while a fresh dispute over financial liabilities linked to his tenure as Anambra State governor continues to generate attention.
Obi paid tribute to Jacobs in a statement shared on his official X account on Thursday, describing the late actor as a symbol of excellence in Nigeria’s creative industry. He also extended his condolences to Jacobs’ family, friends, colleagues and the wider entertainment community.
The tribute came amid an ongoing disagreement between Obi and the Anambra State Government over loans, salary arrears, pensions and other liabilities allegedly connected to previous administrations.
Obi, who governed Anambra from 2006 to 2014, has rejected claims that his administration left the state with unpaid financial obligations. He recently challenged the state government to provide evidence supporting its claims, saying he would stop campaigning if it could establish that he left outstanding debts.
The former governor said his administration cleared more than N35 billion in historical gratuities and arrears and maintained that there were no outstanding salaries, pensions or gratuities when he handed over power.
He also addressed the controversial ecological fund, saying about N2.1 billion released for an erosion-control project remained in a dedicated account when he left office. According to Obi, the money was deliberately preserved because it was tied to a specific project.
However, the Anambra State Government has disputed Obi’s account.
Commissioner for Information and Value Reorientation, Law Mefor, said the current administration had inherited outstanding liabilities, including salary, pension and gratuity arrears. He also cited the latest Debt Management Office figures, saying loans attributed to the Obi administration had a balance of about N127.4 billion as of June 30, 2026, based on the official exchange rate.
The state government said the loans were connected to areas including healthcare, education, malaria control and erosion management, while stressing that borrowing itself was not necessarily problematic when used for productive projects.
The disagreement has since attracted wider political attention, with the Presidency also challenging Obi over his earlier pledge to withdraw from the 2027 presidential race if evidence emerged that his administration had left outstanding liabilities.
Despite the political controversy, Obi’s latest public statement focused on the death of Olu Jacobs. He praised the actor’s decades-long contribution to Nigerian and international entertainment, highlighting his professionalism, discipline and dedication to the creative industry.
Jacobs’ death has prompted tributes across Nigeria’s entertainment and public sectors, while the separate Anambra financial dispute remains contested between Obi and the state government.
For now, the conflicting positions mean the exact scope and responsibility for the outstanding liabilities remain a matter of dispute, with both sides presenting different accounts of Anambra’s financial position after Obi left office.