The First Lady of Anambra State, Dr Nonye Soludo, has clarified the nature of the relationship between her family and that of former Governor Peter Obi following remarks by the former governor that he and his wife were godparents to the children of Governor Chukwuma Soludo.
Obi made the remarks on Friday while speaking at the 22nd Conference of the Nigerian Guild of Editors in Enugu, where he dismissed suggestions that he was engaged in a personal quarrel with Soludo.
The former governor said the relationship between the two families was close and extended beyond their political differences. He explained that he and his wife, Margaret, were godparents to Soludo’s children, using the relationship to emphasise that political disagreements should not be interpreted as a personal feud.
However, a statement issued on Saturday by Daniel Ezeigwe, media aide to the Anambra First Lady, disputed the claim and provided details of the actual godparent relationships between the families.
According to the statement, Peter Obi is not the godfather of any of Soludo’s children.
Ezeigwe explained that Nonye Soludo is the confirmation godmother to one of Obi’s daughters, while Margaret Obi, the former governor’s wife, is the baptismal godmother to one of Soludo’s daughters.
“Neither Mr Obi nor Professor Soludo has served as a godparent to the other’s children,” the statement said.
The First Lady’s office said the clarification became necessary after the video of Obi’s remarks circulated widely and generated inquiries from members of the public and the media.
Rather than portraying the disagreement as a deterioration in relations between the families, however, the statement maintained that the two families remain cordial.
The aide also suggested that Obi may simply have misspoken while making his remarks, noting that the widespread circulation of the statement made it necessary to clarify the record.
The development comes amid renewed public disagreements between Obi and the administration of his successor over the financial record of Anambra State.
The former governor has recently disputed claims by the Soludo administration that his government left substantial external loan obligations. The Anambra Government has cited eight external loan facilities associated with previous administrations, including Obi’s tenure, and said about $92.35 million remained outstanding as of June 2026. Obi has rejected the characterisation, citing Debt Management Office figures and arguing that he left substantial savings and investments for the state when he handed over power in 2014.
The financial dispute has generated extensive political discussion as Nigeria approaches the 2027 general elections, with Obi now a presidential candidate and Soludo continuing to govern Anambra.
Despite the political differences, Obi told the editors’ conference that he did not regard Soludo as a personal adversary. He said that if they met, they would embrace and that disagreements over public issues should not necessarily translate into personal hostility.
The latest clarification from the First Lady’s office similarly focused on separating the families’ personal relationship from the political disagreements between the two men.
The issue has also prompted wider calls for supporters of both politicians to distinguish political disagreement from personal attacks.
Rev. Fr. Chinenye John Oluoma, among others, has urged supporters to defend their preferred political leaders without resorting to insults or personal attacks, stressing the importance of focusing on governance and public issues.
The exchange has therefore added another dimension to the increasingly public Obi-Soludo debate, but the clarification from the First Lady’s office indicates that the two families continue to maintain cordial relations despite the political differences between the former and incumbent Anambra governors.
As political activities ahead of 2027 intensify, attention is likely to remain focused on the records and policy positions of political actors, while the latest exchange underscores the distinction between personal relationships and political disagreements.
