Reported by Simon Daniel Yusuph l Journalist at Weng Global
An aide to Anambra State First Lady, Nonye Soludo, has disputed former Anambra governor Peter Obi’s claim that he and his wife are godparents to Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s children.
Obi made the claim on Friday, September 25, 2026, while speaking at the 22nd All Nigeria Editors Conference organised by the Nigerian Guild of Editors in Enugu.
The former governor was responding to questions about his relationship with Soludo amid an ongoing public disagreement over the financial position of Anambra State and claims concerning liabilities allegedly inherited by successive administrations.
Obi said the political differences should not be interpreted as a personal quarrel between him and Soludo.
“People might not know. My wife and I are godparents to Soludo’s children,” Obi said, according to reports of his remarks at the conference. He added that the relationship was close and that he would embrace Soludo whenever they met.
However, the First Lady’s aide has challenged the description of Obi as a godfather to the governor’s children, creating a fresh point of disagreement around the relationship between the former governor and the incumbent.
Obi Links Personal Relationship to Political Dispute
Obi’s comments came against the background of a growing public debate over Anambra State’s finances.
The former governor has rejected claims that his administration left the state with outstanding obligations, maintaining that he left office in 2014 without unpaid salaries, pensions, gratuities or certain other liabilities.
Punch reported that Obi reiterated his position during an appearance on Arise TV on September 24, saying he did not borrow money or issue bonds on behalf of the state during his tenure.
The dispute has subsequently featured in public exchanges involving Obi and the Soludo administration.
Speaking before the Nigerian Guild of Editors, Obi sought to separate the political and financial disagreement from his personal relationship with Soludo.
He described Soludo as someone with whom he maintained a close relationship and said the two should not be portrayed as personal enemies. Vanguard also reported Obi as saying that Soludo was his respected elder brother and that their relationship remained cordial despite the disagreement over the state’s finances.
First Lady’s Aide Challenges Godparent Claim
The latest response from an aide to Nonye Soludo introduces a different account of the personal relationship.
The aide disputed Obi’s statement that he was a godfather to the governor’s children.
The claim is significant because Obi presented the alleged godparent relationship as evidence that his disagreements with Soludo were political rather than personal.
Weng Global could not independently establish from publicly available records the precise nature of the godparent relationship or determine which of Soludo’s children Obi was referring to.
Premium Times reported that Soludo has six children — four daughters and two sons — but noted that Obi did not specify how many children he and his wife were godparents to.
Political Disagreement Continues
The dispute comes as Obi, the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), continues his political activities ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Soludo, meanwhile, is serving his second term as governor of Anambra State after winning re-election in November 2025. The two politicians have also shared a political history in the state, with Obi having governed Anambra before Soludo assumed office.
Their current disagreement has largely centred on claims about the state’s finances and the liabilities inherited by successive administrations.
Obi has repeatedly maintained that he left substantial savings for the state, including a claim that his administration left about $150 million.
The Guardian reported that Obi, while speaking at the editors’ conference, called for the financial disagreement to be resolved through available records and reiterated that there was no personal quarrel between him and Soludo.
Why the Godparent Dispute Matters
The disagreement over whether Obi is a godfather to Soludo’s children is more than a question about terminology because Obi himself introduced the relationship into the political discussion.
His argument was that the alleged family connection demonstrated the closeness between the two families and contradicted suggestions of a personal feud.
The response attributed to the First Lady’s aide challenges that aspect of Obi’s explanation.
However, the disagreement over the relationship does not by itself establish whether the broader political and financial dispute between Obi and Soludo is personal or political.
The two sides have continued to publicly address issues surrounding Obi’s tenure and the financial position of Anambra State, while also maintaining different accounts of the state’s inherited obligations.
The Anambra Debt Debate
The financial dispute remains a separate and more substantive issue.
Obi has said he left office without the debts being attributed to his administration and has pointed to savings he says remained available when he handed over power.
The Soludo administration has maintained a different position regarding financial obligations inherited from previous administrations.
The competing claims require examination of official financial records, debt documentation and other relevant government records rather than relying solely on political statements.
That distinction is particularly important as the dispute continues to attract political attention ahead of the 2027 elections.
What Happens Next
The immediate focus is likely to remain on the competing accounts from Obi’s camp and the Soludo administration concerning their relationship and Anambra State’s financial history.
Unless either side provides additional documentation clarifying the godparent claim, the precise nature of that personal relationship remains disputed in the public record.
The broader disagreement over Anambra’s finances is also expected to remain part of the political conversation, with Obi continuing to defend his administration’s record and the current government maintaining its own account of inherited obligations.
For readers, the key distinction is between the personal claims made by political figures and verifiable evidence contained in official records.
Weng Global – stories beyond borders
Sources
Premium Times
The Guardian
Vanguard
Punch Newspapers
Nigerian Guild of Editors conference reports
