Soludo’s wife speaks on ‘godparent ties’ with Peter Obi, family

The First Lady of Anambra state, Dr Mrs Nonye Soludo, has clarified the godparent relationship between her family and that of former governor Peter Obi.

Mrs Soludo categorically denied claim that Peter Obi is the godfather to any of Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s children.

The clarification followed the circulation of a video in which Obi reportedly said that he and his wife, Margaret, were godparents to the children of the incumbent governor.

In a statement issued by Dan Ezeigwe, media assistant to the First Lady, on Saturday, the former governor’s claim was described as incorrect.

The statement said the viral video had generated calls and enquiries from members of the public seeking clarification on the relationship between the two families.

Actual godparent relationships clarified

Ezeigwe said Nonye Soludo is the confirmation godmother to one of Obi’s daughters, while Margaret Obi is the baptismal godmother to one of Soludo’s daughters.

He stressed that neither Obi nor Soludo had served as godparent to the other’s children.

“For the avoidance of doubt, Mr. Peter Obi is not a godfather to any of the children of Professor Chukwuma and Dr. Nonye Soludo,” the statement said.

It added that the actual relationship between the two families had been clearly established and that the claim in the viral video did not accurately reflect it.

According to the statement, Nonye Soludo’s role as confirmation godmother to Obi’s daughter and Margaret Obi’s role as baptismal godmother to one of Soludo’s daughters are the only godparent relationships between the two families.

The clarification comes against the backdrop of renewed public attention on the relationship between Obi and Soludo, who have both held prominent political positions in Anambra State.

Possible slip of tongue

Despite rejecting the claim, the First Lady’s media aide suggested that Obi may have simply misspoken while making the remarks.

“It is possible that Mr. Peter Obi simply misspoke in the course of making his remarks,” Ezeigwe said.

He explained that the clarification became necessary because of the widespread circulation of the video and the enquiries it generated.

The aide said the intention was not to create controversy between the two families but to ensure that the public was not left with an inaccurate impression concerning their personal relationship.

He also stressed that the relationship between the families remained cordial despite the clarification.

“The relationship between the two families is cordial and there is no need to misrepresent it in any manner,” he said.

The statement therefore, urged members of the public and the media to take note of the clarification and disregard the impression created by the video that Obi was godfather to any of Soludo’s children.

The clarification comes shortly after another public disagreement involving Obi and the Anambra State Government over the financial record of his administration.

The former governor has recently faced allegations from the state government concerning loans, workers’ arrears and other liabilities allegedly inherited by subsequent administrations.

The Soludo administration has also questioned some of Obi’s claims concerning funds and assets allegedly left behind when he handed over power in 2014.

Obi has disputed the government’s characterisation of his financial record, leading to an increasingly public exchange between his supporters and officials of the state government.

However, the First Lady’s latest statement focused specifically on the godparent claim and did not address the wider political disagreements between Obi and the state government.

Ezeigwe urged the public, media organisations and other concerned parties to rely on the clarification concerning the family relationship and not draw conclusions from the viral video that were inconsistent with the facts presented by the First Lady’s office.