NEWS
“EFCC Called and Incredibly Asked Me to Explain a House I Acquired in 1996, I Gave Them The Receipt of Full Payment of £1m pounds” — Peter Obi Reveals
Former Anambra State Governor and 2027 presidential candidate Peter Obi has disclosed an encounter with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over a property he said he acquired in 1996, years before he became governor.
Obi said the anti-graft agency asked him to explain the acquisition of the house, prompting him to provide documentary evidence showing that the property had been fully paid for long before his entry into public office.
Recounting the encounter, Obi said: “Efcc called and incredibly asked me to explain a house I acquired in 1996, 10 years before I became Governor so I gave them the receipt of full payment of £1m pounds.“
The statement has again drawn attention to Obi’s financial history before his political career and his long-standing claim that he had accumulated substantial business interests and assets before becoming a public office holder.
Obi became Governor of Anambra State in 2006 after a legal battle over the 2003 governorship election and remained in office until 2013. The property acquisition he referenced therefore predates his tenure in government by about a decade.
The issue is not entirely new.
Obi previously discussed an EFCC inquiry concerning a property in the United Kingdom, explaining that he had documentation relating to its acquisition and payment.
Reports from 2022 also documented his public explanation that the property was acquired in 1996, with documents presented to support the transaction.
A more recent account of Obi’s remarks similarly states that he said EFCC officials requested an explanation concerning the property and that he responded with evidence of payment.
The latest statement has consequently revived public discussion about the source, timing and documentation surrounding the property, particularly because the acquisition, according to Obi, occurred years before he assumed the governorship.
While Obi presented the transaction as evidence of assets acquired before political office, the precise details of the property, including its valuation and the underlying documentation, remain matters that can be independently examined against official records.
The former governor has consistently maintained that his business career preceded his political career and has frequently pointed to his corporate background when discussing his financial standing before entering government.