The 2027 presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has explained how he reduced the cost of governance during his tenure as governor of Anambra State.
Obi said he deliberately avoided unnecessary expenditure and resisted the practice of travelling with large entourages while serving as governor.
The former Anambra governor disclosed this in a statement on Monday, stressing the need for public officials to manage government resources responsibly.
He recalled that he rejected what he described as inflated budgets for the renovation of his official residence and office, saying both projects were eventually completed at significantly lower costs.
Obi said, “When I was governor, the budget for refurbishing my office was N298 million, but I did everything with ₦48 million.”
He added that a similar approach was adopted in renovating his official residence.
“There was also a budget of ₦486 million to refurbish my house, but I completed everything with ₦81 million,” he stated.
Speaking about official travels, Obi said he also reduced expenditure by refusing to travel with a large number of aides and officials.
“As a governor, you are supposed to travel with 30 people to several places. Over the years I was governor, I didn’t use 16 percent of my travel allowance because I wasn’t travelling with anybody,” he said.
Obi explained that his decision was based on the fact that he was the person invited to official engagements, rather than his entourage.
“I was the only person invited; nobody invited them,” he added.
The NDC presidential candidate maintained that Nigeria’s scarce resources should be channelled towards sectors capable of improving the welfare of citizens rather than unnecessary government expenditure.
