The wife of Governor Charles Soludo of Anambra State, Nonye Soludo, has denied claims made by Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), that he and his wife are godparents to her children. According to Premium Times, Mr. Obi made the claim during the Nigerian Guild of Editors' 22nd Conference in Enugu on Friday.
Mr. Obi's comment sparked controversy amid a debt debate between him and Mr. Soludo's administration. The former governor did not specify how many of Mr. Soludo's children they serve as godparents to. However, Premium Times reports that Mr. Soludo has four daughters and two sons. A godparent is typically someone who serves as a witness at a child's baptism and is chosen by the child's biological parents due to an existing close relationship.
In a statement released on Saturday, Mrs. Soludo described Mr. Obi's claim as "false." Her media aide, Dan Ezeigwe, conveyed the message, stating that the clarification was necessary after the family received several calls from people inquiring about the true position. Mrs. Soludo emphasized that Mr. Peter Obi is not a godfather to any of her children.
However, Mrs. Soludo revealed that she is a "confirmation godmother" to Mr. Obi's daughter, while Mr. Obi's wife, Margaret Obi, is the "baptismal godmother" to one of Mr. Soludo's daughters. This implies that only Mr. Obi's wife is a godparent to one of Mr. Soludo's children. Mrs. Soludo maintained that neither Mr. Obi nor her husband has served as a godparent to the other's children.
The dispute between Mr. Obi and Mr. Soludo has been ongoing for several years. The tension between the two politicians escalated in early September when the Commissioner for Finance in Anambra State, Izuchukwu Okafor, claimed that Mr. Soludo's administration was still repaying loans and other debts incurred by Mr. Obi and other past governors of the state.
Responding to the claim, Mr. Obi stated that he did not owe any debt in Anambra when he left office as governor. He reiterated that he did not incur any debt as governor but rather saved over N75 billion in the state's account. In response, the Anambra government released loan records arguing that Mr. Obi's administration took eight external loans worth $123.7 million, with $92.35 million outstanding.
On Thursday, Mr. Obi again reiterated that he left over $150 million in savings for the Anambra State Government when he exited office as governor in 2014. The ongoing debate highlights the continued disagreement between the two politicians over financial matters in Anambra State.
Key points
- Peter Obi claims he and his wife are godparents to Charles Soludo's children.
- Nonye Soludo denies the claims, stating that only her husband's wife is a godparent to one of their daughters.
- The dispute is part of an ongoing debate over debt and financial matters between Obi and Soludo's administration.
