InterSociety strips Soludo’s govt ‘naked’, alleges lack of fiscal discipline, accountability

The International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (InterSociety), has accused the Anambra State Government under Governor Chukwuma Soludo of lacking fiscal discipline, probity and accountability, while acknowledging the administration’s stated position against serial borrowing.

In a statement dated September 22, 2026, and signed by Lead-Director Emeka Umeagbalasi, Barrister Chinwe Umeche, Barrister Chidinma Evangeline Udegbunam and Barrister Obianuju Joy Igboeli, InterSociety said Soludo’s administration had one notable strength in its approach to public borrowing but questioned its handling of fiscal reporting and accountability.

The organisation said: “That one of the few areas of Prof Charles Soludo’s impressive governance styles is his government’s publicly announced decision not to drag the state into serial public borrowings and their endless financial crisis and far-reaching governance consequences.”

It, however, alleged that the administration had failed to publicly present detailed annual financial statements since assuming office in March 2022.

InterSociety said: “However, Prof Charles Soludo’s administration is still found to have lacked fiscal discipline, probity and accountability. That his Government is found to have not been able to render public accounts of its fiscal years since inception on March 17, 2022.”

The organisation argued that annual budget estimates alone were insufficient to demonstrate fiscal accountability, saying government should also provide detailed statements showing internally generated revenue, Federation Account receipts, capital receipts, loans and credit facilities, outstanding contractual obligations and workforce liabilities.

It said: “That fiscal discipline and accountability found lacking in Soludo’s Government included lack of public presentation of the ‘State’s Annual Statements of Account’—detailing how much the State generated internally on annual basis, how much was received from the Federation Account, amounts cleared or un-cleared as contractual obligations, cleared or un-cleared serving and retired workforce remunerations, how much received as ‘Capital Receipts’ including loans and credit facilities and other budgetary balances, surpluses and deficits, among others.”

InterSociety also raised questions over a N100 billion loan sought by Soludo in 2022 and approved by the Anambra State House of Assembly. It said although the governor was later reported to have backed away from securing the facility, the legislature should formally cancel the approval and remove it from official records.

The organisation further criticised what it described as the revival of the dispute over Peter Obi’s financial record, alleging that the issue had become entangled with political considerations.

InterSociety said it was “totally wrong and a clear case of ill-conceived and political motivation layered in murky waters of Nigerian politics” for the Soludo administration to revisit the financial record of the Obi administration while, in its view, the Obiano administration had intervened between the two governments.

The criticism comes amid a wider dispute over Anambra’s debt history. The state government has maintained that Soludo’s administration has not borrowed from commercial banks since taking office and has said it has continued servicing inherited obligations while reducing the state’s debt burden.

The group’s statement also acknowledged that Soludo’s administration had publicly maintained a no-new-borrowing position, but argued that fiscal responsibility should include transparent and regular disclosure of the state’s financial accounts and liabilities.