Soludo: Peter Obi and I Are Good Friends Despite Political Differences
Anambra State Governor, Chukwuma Soludo, has dismissed suggestions of a personal rift between him and his predecessor, Peter Obi, saying their relationship remains cordial despite their political differences.
Soludo made the clarification during an interview with BBC News Igbo on Monday, explaining that both families maintained close ties even though they supported different political interests.
“Peter Obi and I are good friends. Our two families are on good terms. His wife gave birth to my child in the divine water, my wife gave birth to his child in the confirmation. But when it comes to politics, give me mine, give him his. It’s politics that is being done,” the governor said.
He maintained that their political disagreements did not affect their personal relationship, noting that Obi supported a different candidate during the last Anambra governorship election.
The comments come amid renewed disagreements between the two politicians over Obi’s record as governor and the financial position of Anambra State when he left office in 2014.
In September, the two camps also disagreed over claims about the godparent relationship between their families. Obi had described himself and his wife as godparents to Soludo’s children, but the media aide to the Anambra First Lady, Daniel Ezeigwe, offered a different account of the baptismal and confirmation arrangements.
Soludo also revisited his controversial 2022 article, History Beckons and I Will Not Be Silent, in which he questioned Obi’s chances of winning the 2023 presidential election.
Asked about his earlier position, the governor clarified that his argument was that Obi’s decision to contest under the Labour Party would split opposition votes and make victory easier for the All Progressives Congress candidate, Bola Tinubu.
“No, no, I didn’t say he wouldn’t win. What I said was that it is impossible for someone who is a presidential candidate of a party to not even write a letter saying he is running,” he said.
Soludo added that Obi’s emergence as a third-force candidate would draw votes away from the Peoples Democratic Party and benefit the APC.
He also argued that an alliance among opposition parties would not automatically guarantee victory against an incumbent administration.
The governor further disclosed that he personally invited Obi to join the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in March 2022 to contest the presidency.
According to him, their discussions initially centred on mobilising the Igbo people politically rather than simply securing political power.
He added that the discussions were intended to build political strength and organise the region before entering into alliances to seek power.
