By BONIFACE AKARAH

The Peter Obi Media Office has defended the presidential ambition of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate, Peter Obi, arguing that his claim to the preside’cy is based on his record ’n Anambra State and experience in business and financial management rather than political patronage.

In a statement issued yesterday, Sunday, September 13, 2026, and signed by Idris Zekeri Jnr, Peter Obi Media Office, the office said It was responding to what it described as arguments by supporters of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu that Obi was overhyped and that his popularity and political ratings were overrated.

The Media Office said Obi’s record in Anambra State provided a basis for assessing his capacity to govern at the national level, noting that he had managed a state before seeking to manage the country.

“Peter Obi managed a state before seeking to manage a nation. He served as Governor of Anambra State from 2006 to 2014, with interruptions arising from the political and legal battles surrounding his tenure. He eventually won re-election in 2010, completed his second term, and emerged as the best-performing state governor in his time,” the statement said.

According to the Media Office, one of the strongest elements of Obi’s governance record was fiscal discipline, citing what it described as substantial savings and investments accumulated during his tenure as governor.

It said Obi's 2023 manifesto recorded approximately $500 million in investments and savings, including $156 million in dollar-denominated bonds.

The office argued that the record demonstrated that government could preserve financial resources rather than simply spend available funds.

“He showed that government could save rather than merely spend. This is perhaps one of the clearest contrasts in his political message: leaving substantial financial reserves behind after leaving office. The record presented in his manifesto includes local and foreign currency savings and investments,” it stated.

The Media Office also highlighted education as a central part of Obi’s record, saying his administration returned mission schools to their original owners and established partnerships with them.

It said Obi's manifesto reported that Anambra subsequently moved from 24th to first position in WAEC/NECO performance for three consecutive years.

Beyond infrastructure, the office said Obi’s administration invested in scholarships, education, healthcare and poverty mapping, describing the approach as one that placed human capital at the centre of development.

“He invested in human capital rather than only physical projects. The record includes scholarships, support for education, healthcare investments and poverty mapping—an approach consistent with the argument that development is ultimately about improving people’s productive capacity,” the statement said.

The Media Office also cited healthcare investments during Obi’s tenure, saying his administration invested in health institutions and accreditation.

According to the statement, more than 12 health institutions, including two hospitals, had secured accreditation by the end of Obi’s tenure, compared with none at the beginning.

It further pointed to Obi's engagement with international development organisations, including the World Bank, UNDP, DFID and the European Union, as well as diplomatic engagements with foreign governments.

The office said Obi's administration also introduced poverty mapping, aerial mapping and planning initiatives and developed the Anambra Integrated Development Strategy (ANIDS) as a framework for coordinated development.

It added that Obi's experience before entering politics, including his career in business and banking and senior roles in the financial sector, gave him a combination of private-sector, financial-management and public-sector experience.

The Media Office argued that Obi’s presidential case should therefore be judged against his record in office rather than solely against campaign promises.

“Peter Obi is not asking Nigerians to make him President so that he can learn how government works. He is asking Nigerians to entrust him with Nigeria after demonstrating, as Governor of Anambra, how he manages money, builds institutions, invests in human capital and plans for the future,” the statement said.

The office maintained that the former Anambra governor had left behind a record that Nigerians could examine in assessing his suitability for the presidency.

It said the question was therefore not whether Obi had been politically promoted, but whether his previous record justified the ratings and popularity he currently enjoyed in the political space.