On the day I left office, I left more than US$150 million as the dollar component of my investment in Anambra State as governor. I hereby provide documents that can be verified with the various banks. Had it remained untouched, this investment was expected to provide Anambra State with approximately US$10 million in annual income. Even if their assertion were accurate—which it is not—that Anambra owed US$123 million, the government could have used the US$10 million generated annually from my savings to reduce the debt. It has now been 13 years since I left office, which would amount to US$130 million. The debt should have been fully settled by now. Had they retained the funds I left in the bank, including the compound interest on the principal and the additional income, the total would be approximately US$335 million today. If they had chosen to repay the US$92.35 million funding, the entire amount would have been covered, leaving approximately US$242 million to be reinvested. That sum would have generated about US$20 million annually for Anambra State. Let me reiterate that, when I left office, I left Anambra State in a strong financial position—the strongest of any state in Nigeria—and I stand by that position. Through this clarification, I wish to state categorically that I will neither engage nor trade words with anyone regarding my tenure in Anambra State. My focus will now be on issues affecting the suffering Nigerian masses, which is the reason for my presidential ambition. A new Nigeria is POssible. -PO

Debunking the Phantom Debts and Ecological Loan Fallacy My attention has been drawn to trending claims by the Anambra State Government that my administration left behind inherited debts, including a ₦2 billion ecological loan, contractor liabilities, and unpaid salaries, gratuities, and pensions. This is completely false. We systematically liquidated historical gratuities and arrears dating back several years, amounting to over ₦35 billion. At the point of handover, the state owed nothing in salaries, gratuities, or pensions, nor did we owe anything to any contractor for projects duly executed and certified. The ₦2 billion ecological fund in question was released barely three months before the end of my tenure for the Oko/Umuchiana erosion crisis. Despite pressure to spend the money, I refused, insisting that it should be left for my successor because government is a continuum and the funds were tied to a specific project. The money was therefore left 100 per cent intact in First Bank, in Account No. 2018779464, with a balance of over ₦2.13 billion. It is important to stress that funds tied to specific projects or set aside for particular purposes were not even included in the over ₦75 billion in savings we left behind. If anybody can establish anything to the contrary, I will stop campaigning. -PO

Beyond Football: The Match for a Better Nigeria This weekend, Europe comes alive again with football. Millions of Nigerian youths will be glued to television screens, streaming matches, debating tactics, celebrating victories, and admiring the organisation, discipline, and excellence that make European football the envy of the world. But here is a question worth asking: Why can’t Nigerian football be just as good? The answer is not a lack of talent. Nigeria has produced world-class footballers who have excelled in Europe because they found systems that reward merit, invest in infrastructure, ensure security, and are governed with competence and accountability. Great football does not exist in isolation. It grows where there is good governance. The stadiums, academies, transport systems, healthcare, security, electricity, and institutions that support football are products of leaders who make the right choices and citizens who insist on accountability. Nigeria has the talent. What we have lacked is leadership that creates an enabling environment for that talent to flourish. As I have decided, in the next 150 days, to engage Nigerian youths wherever they gather—in town halls, campuses, online spaces, and even football communities—my message is simple: The future you admire in Europe can be built in Nigeria. But it starts with your vote. Imagine a Nigeria where our local league is competitive, our stadiums are full every weekend, our clubs attract sponsorship, our coaches receive proper training, and young footballers no longer see emigration as their only path to success. Nigeria will not emerge through wishful thinking. It will emerge when young Nigerians decide that elections matter as much as football matches. Every goal scored in Europe is a reminder that excellence is possible. Every well-managed league is proof that systems work when honest leadership is in place. The 2027 presidential election is therefore more than a political contest. It is an opportunity for Nigerian youths to choose the kind of country they want—a nation that exports talent because it is respected, not because its citizens are escaping failed governance. Cheer for Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, PSG, Inter, AC Milan, or any club you support. Enjoy every match. But when the final whistle blows, remember that the greatest match awaiting Nigerian youths is not in Europe. It is in Nigeria. It is the match for good governance. It is the match for jobs, security, education, sports development, and national renewal. And unlike football, where only twenty-two players are on the pitch, every Nigerian youth has a place in this match. Stand up. Mobilise. Vote. Defend your vote. If Nigerian youths can passionately follow European football every weekend, they can also passionately build a Nigeria where our own football—and our nation—becomes a source of pride. The journey towards better Nigerian football begins with the path to good governance. And the path to good governance begins with the decision of Nigerian youths to stand up and be counted in 2027. Every weekend, starting today, I will come to you with a reminder of January 16, 2027, and our future. We can create world-class standards right here at home. It’s in your hands, and that new Nigeria is POssible. -PO