Anambra State Governor, Chukwuma Soludo, has said he and former governor Peter Obi remain close friends despite their political differences.

Soludo made the clarification during an interview with BBC News Igbo on Monday, where he addressed recent disagreements between his administration and Obi, the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).

The governor said the relationship between their families remained cordial, stressing that their political disagreements had not affected their personal relationship.

“Peter Obi and I are good friends. Our two families are on good terms,” Soludo said.

He added that although they had different political interests, both men understood that politics should not define their personal relationship.

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“When it comes to politics, give me mine, give him his. It’s politics that is being done,” he added.

Soludo said Obi’s decision to support another candidate during the last Anambra governorship election did not affect their relationship, noting that he eventually secured victory.

“He has someone he thinks should be the governor of Anambra. I am also listening. He supported the person he wanted. But I won by the grace of God,” he said.

Obi governed Anambra State for two terms between March 2006 and March 2014 under the platform of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).

Soludo also disclosed that he personally invited Obi to join APGA in March 2022 to contest the 2023 presidential election.

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According to him, the invitation was made at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, with the broader objective of mobilising the Igbo people politically.

“It was me myself who invited him to APGA so he could run, early March 2022 at Nnamdi Azikiwe University,” he said.

The governor, however, explained that he later withdrew his support for Obi’s presidential ambition because he believed his candidacy could weaken the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and improve the electoral chances of President Bola Tinubu.

“In fact, I also wrote to him that his participation would take away a lot of votes from the PDP and make it easier for Tinubu to win,” Soludo said.

He further argued that even a united opposition might struggle to defeat an incumbent administration, noting that political alliances alone do not guarantee electoral victory.

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Soludo’s comments come amid a disagreement between the Anambra State Government and Obi over the state’s debt profile.

The controversy followed a September 14 statement by the state Commissioner for Finance, Izuchukwu Okafor, who said the state was still repaying loans obtained by previous administrations, including those of Obi and his successor, Willie Obiano.

Obi rejected the claim, insisting that he left no outstanding debts when he left office. He also maintained that his administration did not owe salaries, pensions or contractors and left N2.1 billion in the state’s ecological fund.

However, the state government subsequently disputed his account, alleging that Obi left $123.77 million in debt.

Amid the exchange, Obi said there was no personal disagreement between him and Soludo, adding that he and his wife were godparents to the governor’s children.

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Soludo’s latest remarks appear to reaffirm his position that the disagreement between them is political rather than personal.

Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, has urged politicians aspiring to succeed him in November 2027 to seek divine guidance, insisting that the state’s next governor must be a God-fearing person.
Diri made the call on Monday during the 15th State Thanksgiving Service held at the Ecumenical Centre, Igbogene, Yenagoa, where he said Bayelsa had been committed to God for spiritual guidance and protection.
With the November 2027 governorship election approaching, the governor advised prospective candidates to seek God’s approval, stressing that no individual could overturn a decision made by the Almighty.
“Only God-fearing persons will succeed me. Anybody who wants to be governor must go and seek the face of God. Anyone who wants to be governor must be God-fearing. If God says yes, nobody can say no, not even me,” he said.
The governor maintained that the state had been entrusted to God and that the Almighty would continue to have the final say in its affairs.
He also called on residents to embrace unity, tolerance and patience, describing peace and mutual understanding as essential to the state’s development.
Diri thanked the people of Bayelsa for their support over the past six years, expressing confidence in the state’s development prospects, which he attributed to its natural endowments and his administration’s commitment to transformation.
“Let us continue to worship God. Let us be tolerant and patient as we will become victorious at the end of the day. The Bible itself recognises that it is good to give thanks to the Lord. Today we came to say thank you, Father,” he said.
Reflecting on the state’s development, Diri said residents who had lived in Yenagoa for many years could attest to the changes recorded.
“As I keep saying, those of us who were born in Yenagoa or know Bayelsa of old can see the difference today. It is enough to give thanks,” he added.
He further noted that Bayelsa’s natural environment, coupled with political will, could drive development and improve the lives of residents.
“Dear people of Bayelsa, I thank you also for your support and for standing by this government,” he said.
In his sermon, the guest preacher and former Bayelsa State Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Very Rev. Joseph Opelema, urged Christians to combine their religious beliefs with responsible citizenship.
Speaking on the theme, “Called to be Good Christians and Good Citizens,” Opelema said Christians had responsibilities both to the church and the wider society.
Drawing from Matthew 22:15-22, which recounts Jesus’ response to questions about paying taxes, the cleric said the biblical instruction to give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God underscored the importance of responsible citizenship.
He urged Christians, particularly those occupying public offices, to demonstrate sacrifice, prudence, accountability, justice, love, care and charity in their daily activities.
Opelema lamented that while many people attended church services, fewer consistently practised Christian values in their everyday lives. He called on believers to become the salt of the earth and the light of the world through their conduct and service to society.
The cleric also described Bayelsa as richly endowed with natural and human resources, favourable weather conditions, land and waterways, which he said could support its development as a tourism destination.
He expressed optimism that God-fearing leadership would help the state realise its potential.
Highlights of the thanksgiving service included the unveiling of a book titled Lively Oracle, containing scriptural declarations made by the governor during morning devotions, and musical performances by gospel artistes.
Those in attendance included the governor’s wives, Dr. Gloria Diri and Justice Patience Diri; Deputy Governor, Dr. Peter Akpe, and his wife, Dr. Favour Akpe; as well as former deputy governors, Rt. Hon. Peremobowei Ebebi and Rear Admiral Gboribiogha John Jonah (rtd.), among other dignitaries.

By Okey Maduforo Awka

The All Progressives Congress (APC) Chairman in Anambra State, Senator Emma Anosike, has criticised the judiciary for interfering in the nomination of political party candidates, warning that the practice is undermining internal party democracy and threatening Nigeria’s democratic process.

Anosike described the judgment that replaced Senator Hope Uzodimma with Rochas Okorocha as the candidate for an Imo West senatorial district as an “imperial judgment” that would have only a momentary effect.

He expressed concern that a person who did not participate in the party’s nomination process could emerge as its candidate through a court ruling, despite established procedures for screening aspirants, capturing their details and conducting primary elections.

According to him, the affected aspirant allegedly bypassed these procedures and produced his own documents, which the party subsequently reported to the police as forged.

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Anosike said the police investigated the matter and confirmed the alleged forgery, adding that the documents were presented before the court but that the party’s position and police findings were disregarded.

He questioned how a candidate imposed on a political party through a court judgment could successfully contest an election without the support of the party whose platform he was seeking to use.

“If the person is the candidate of the party, how would the election be conducted without the party? Every election is a party. If the party turns its back on the person, that is the end of the person,” he said.

He observed that the problem was not peculiar to Imo State, alleging that courts across the country had increasingly been determining who becomes a candidate for political parties, sometimes without adequate consideration of the parties’ internal nomination processes.

He warned that such interventions could create divisions within political parties, particularly when party leadership and members refused to support candidates who had not emerged through recognised internal procedures.

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“How will the person campaign if he did not pass through the party process? Will you force the party members to vote for the person? You are creating more problems because the state party can issue a statement that nobody should work for or vote for the person,” he said.

Anosike however appealed to the judiciary to exercise caution in political party nomination disputes, stressing that the courts remained vital to the survival of democracy but should not undermine the autonomy of political parties.

“The judiciary is key to this democracy, and political parties are also important. The rate at which the judiciary is getting involved in party nominations is negatively impacting our democracy,” he said.

He further alleged that similar cases had occurred in Anambra State, where individuals who did not participate in party nomination processes secured candidacies through court judgments.

As a state party chairman, Anosike said it was difficult to work with candidates who had not participated in the party’s internal processes, adding that such individuals often lacked the support and acceptance of party members.

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Anosike also commended Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma for what he described as significant infrastructural transformation in the state, urging residents of the South-East to appreciate and acknowledge achievements in governance.

He said the improvements in road infrastructure and public buildings under Uzodimma’s administration had contributed to the state’s development, noting that journeys between Owerri and Enugu had become considerably shorter.

Anosike cited the reconstruction of roads and buildings, including police stations that had reportedly collapsed after being poorly constructed under previous administrations, as evidence of the current government’s efforts to improve infrastructure.

He described the governors of South East as competing constructively with one another and urged political leaders and residents to support efforts that would advance the region’s collective interests.

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Ebonyi State Governor, Francis Nwifuru, has declared that there will be no political coalition in the state ahead of the 2027 general elections, insisting that he and his supporters are fully committed to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The governor also assured the ruling party of victory across all elective positions in the state, warning against any political arrangement capable of undermining the party’s unity and electoral prospects.

Nwifuru made the declaration on Saturday at Okpara Square, Enugu, where he joined Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, at the flag-off of an empowerment programme for more than 5,000 women across the South-East.

The First Lady led the Women Mobilisation Directorate of the APC Presidential Campaign Council at the event, which was organised under the Renewed Hope Initiative.

Speaking at the gathering, Nwifuru said the party’s immediate priority was to ensure the re-election of President Bola Tinubu and the success of all APC candidates in the 2027 elections.

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“Our project is how to deliver our President, and that is our project for now.

“The APC is the only party that has an open manifesto. We can discuss our manifesto with you, unlike other political parties.

“We don’t have a coalition; we are for all APC candidates,” the governor declared.

He said the APC had put necessary arrangements in place to secure victory in the forthcoming elections, stressing that the party remained united and determined to achieve its political objectives.

According to him, the party would not entertain political arrangements that could weaken its collective strength or distract members from its electoral mission.

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The programme, themed “One Region, One Vision: Empowered for Progress,” attracted women and political stakeholders from across the South-East, with the aim of strengthening mobilisation and support for President Tinubu’s re-election bid.

In her remarks, the First Lady said the beneficiaries were women who had remained committed to the APC and consistently supported the party’s interests across the region.

She explained that the empowerment initiative was being implemented through the Renewed Hope Initiative.

The wife of the Ebonyi State Governor, Chief Mrs Mary-Maudline Uzoamaka Nwifuru, was also among dignitaries who attended the event.

The Ebonyi governor is amongst APC governors said to be in the bad books of the FCT minister with the governor alleging plots to unsit him in the 2027 polls.

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The Enugu State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has cautioned residents against what it described as an alleged campaign of alarmism and disinformation by the New Democratic Congress (NDC), urging them to remain vigilant against attempts to create distrust and political tension ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The APC Campaign Council’s Spokesperson and Director of Public Communications, Steve Oruruo, made the call in a statement titled, “Unmasking the Alarmism of NDC: A Clarion Call for Enugu’s Extra Vigilance.”

In the statement, Oruruo accused the opposition party of spreading misleading allegations against the management of Amadeo Event Centre and the Enugu State Government over the controversy surrounding the proposed NDC town hall meeting involving its presidential candidate, Peter Obi.

He traced the disagreement to an alleged breach of Clause 17 of a private agreement between the event centre’s management and Dr Sabastine Chuks Eze, whom he accused of presenting himself as the Registrar of the Nigeria Institute of Healthcare Givers and Medical Social Work Practitioners.

According to Oruruo, the clause empowered the management to suspend any activity, meeting or event that failed to comply with the terms of the agreement.

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He alleged that the disagreement was subsequently politicised, with the NDC accusing the state government of interfering with its proposed event.

The APC spokesperson said the management of Amadeo Event Centre had issued a rejoinder explaining its position, accusing the NDC and its Enugu East Senatorial candidate, Mrs Ada Ogbu, of unfairly linking the state government to the dispute.

He questioned the basis for dragging the government into the controversy, asking whether the standards of integrity and morality preached by the NDC’s presidential candidate were reflected in the conduct of the party’s members in Enugu.

Oruruo further accused the opposition of attempting to build a misleading narrative around the incident, warning residents against being drawn into what he described as political theatrics.

“We are condemned to view this latest slant from the precincts of a smokescreen, an unholy prelude and a failed alibi to validate future theatricals and nuisance targeting unsuspecting Enugu voters,” he said.

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He urged residents to exercise caution in their consumption of political information on social media, noting that although the platforms provide opportunities for public expression, they can also be exploited to spread misinformation.

“Ndi-Enugu must therefore prepare to rise above such barefaced antics, gimmicks and shenanigans from the pit of hell,” he added.

Describing the NDC’s political presence in Enugu as insignificant, Oruruo claimed that the party had struggled to establish a meaningful foothold in the state.

“Enugu NDC has failed on arrival. It is almost non-existent in Enugu and perhaps gains its only infinitesimal traction whenever the state government or the name of our erudite Governor is mentioned in its tales of woes,” he stated.

He maintained that the 2027 general elections should be determined by issues, policy ideas and the ability of candidates to deliver on their promises rather than what he described as smear campaigns and inflammatory political statements.

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“Ndi-Enugu, the 2027 Elections are about issues, ideas and the definitive capacity to deliver. Therefore, no amount of smear politics, incendiary comments, political calumny, or media frenzy can rewrite Dr Peter Mbah’s glowing credentials, deeply entrenched in the hearts of our electorate, who are watching in pleasant shock as the dividends of democracy are being positively re-imagined and re-engineered in their favour,” Oruruo stated.

He urged the people of Enugu State to critically examine political claims and remain vigilant against misinformation, while insisting that the state government had no involvement in the disagreement between the event centre and the organisers.