Anambra State First Lady, Dr Nonye Soludo, has clarified the relationship between her family and former governor Peter Obi.
Nonye Soludo said Peter Obi is not the godfather of any of her children. Her clarification followed a viral video in which Obi said he and his wife, Margaret, were godparents to Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s children.
The statement comes amid renewed political exchanges between Obi and Soludo. The two former political allies have recently disagreed publicly over Anambra’s finances and the obligations inherited by successive administrations.
Obi has rejected claims that his administration left Anambra with the debts alleged by the current state government. He has instead maintained that he left substantial funds and investments for his successor.
Torch TV News recently reported on the dispute between Peter Obi and the Anambra Government over the state’s debt, which has added to the recent public exchanges involving the former governor and Soludo.
Peter Obi Says He and His Wife Are Godparents
Obi made the disputed statement while speaking at the 22nd Conference of the Nigerian Guild of Editors in Enugu.
During his remarks, the former governor said he and his wife were godparents to Soludo’s children. He made the statement while seeking to downplay suggestions that his political disagreements with Soludo had affected their personal relationship.
Obi described Soludo as his respected elder brother. He also said the political differences between them had not destroyed the relationship between their families.
The former governor said the two men remained cordial despite their disagreements over issues concerning Anambra State.
The comments later circulated widely on social media, prompting questions about the nature of the relationship between the two families.
Obi has also recently urged Nigerian editors to examine the records of politicians ahead of the 2027 elections. Readers can follow the report on Obi’s call for greater scrutiny of political records for more political context.
Nonye Soludo Says Obi Is Not a Godfather
Reacting to the comments, Nonye Soludo said the claim was incorrect.
In a statement issued through her Media Assistant, Dan Ezeigwe, the First Lady said Peter Obi is not a godfather to any of her children.
She said the clarification became necessary after the video generated widespread attention. According to her, the family received several calls and enquiries seeking to establish whether Obi’s statement accurately reflected the relationship.
Nonye Soludo said Obi may have misspoken while making his remarks. However, she said the circulation of the video made it necessary for the family to clarify the situation.
She also stressed that the relationship between both families remains cordial. Her statement said there was therefore no reason to misrepresent the nature of their relationship.
The clarification comes shortly after other public disagreements between the former governor and Soludo. Those disagreements have included claims about the financial position of Anambra when Obi left office in 2014.
Torch TV News has also reported on Peter Obi’s position that he left Anambra without the debt claimed by the state government.
First Lady Explains the Actual Godparent Relationship
Nonye Soludo provided details about the godparent relationships between the two families.
According to her statement, she serves as the confirmation godmother to Peter Obi’s daughter. She also said Margaret Obi, Peter Obi’s wife, is the baptismal godmother to one of the Soludos’ daughters.
However, she stressed that neither Peter Obi nor Governor Chukwuma Soludo has served as godparent to the other’s children.
The clarification therefore distinguishes the personal relationship between the families from the specific godparent roles mentioned by Obi.
The First Lady said the facts were being made public to prevent further misunderstanding. She urged members of the public and the media to disregard any impression that Obi serves as godfather to the Soludos’ children.
The statement does not suggest that the families have severed their relationship. Instead, it describes their relationship as cordial while correcting the specific claim about the godparent arrangement.
Other recent stories involving Anambra officials include Nonye Soludo’s condemnation of an alleged child abuse case.
Family Relationship Comes Amid Political Differences
The clarification comes at a time when Obi and Soludo have been involved in public disagreements over political and governance issues.
The latest disputes have centred partly on the financial record of Obi’s administration. The Anambra Government has alleged that his administration left loans and other obligations, while Obi has rejected the claims.
Obi has maintained that he did not leave the state with the debt figures presented by the Soludo administration. He has also said he left more than $150 million in funds and investments.
The Anambra Government has disputed his account and continues to defend its own presentation of the state’s financial records.
Despite the political disagreement, Obi said during his appearance at the editors’ conference that he had no personal quarrel with Soludo. He also said he would continue to respect the governor.
The godparent controversy has therefore introduced a separate personal dimension to the ongoing public discussion about their relationship.
Torch TV News previously reported on Peter Obi’s arrival in Jos for a visit to communities affected by attacks, another recent development involving the former governor.
Obi and Soludo Have Previously Maintained a Close Relationship
Before their current political disagreements, Obi and Soludo had publicly acknowledged their long-standing relationship.
Obi served as Anambra governor before handing over to Willie Obiano in 2014. Soludo later became governor of the state in 2022 after winning the governorship election.
Obi has described Soludo as someone he respects and has repeatedly said their political disagreements should not be interpreted as a personal feud.
Soludo, meanwhile, has continued to defend his administration’s positions on Anambra’s finances and other matters involving the state.
The recent debt dispute has nevertheless generated significant public debate. The state government says it is servicing financial obligations inherited from previous administrations, while Obi disputes the government’s interpretation of the obligations linked to his tenure.
Torch TV News recently covered another aspect of the dispute in its report on Anambra’s debt obligations and the claims surrounding Obi’s administration.
First Lady Says There Is No Need to Misrepresent Relationship
Nonye Soludo said the clarification was not intended to suggest a breakdown in relations between the families.
Instead, she said the family wanted to establish the facts after the video generated questions from members of the public.
Her statement described the relationship between the families as cordial. She also suggested that Obi could simply have misspoken when making the claim.
The First Lady’s clarification focuses specifically on the godparent relationship rather than the broader relationship between the two families.
She therefore distinguished between Margaret Obi serving as baptismal godmother to one of the Soludos’ daughters and Peter Obi being described as godfather to the governor’s children.
According to the First Lady, that latter description is inaccurate.
The clarification has since become another talking point in the wider public discussion surrounding Obi and Soludo. It follows several recent reports about disagreements involving the former governor and the current administration.
Readers can also follow recent political developments involving APC activities in Enugu as political discussions continue across the South-East.
Dispute Sparks Public Attention
The controversy gained attention because Obi made the claim while discussing his relationship with Soludo at a major media conference.
His comments appeared in a broader discussion about political disagreements and the role of the media ahead of the 2027 elections. Obi argued that political differences should not automatically translate into personal hostility.
The subsequent clarification from Nonye Soludo has now provided a different account of the specific godparent relationship.
The First Lady said the family had received multiple enquiries after the video circulated. She therefore considered it necessary to issue a public response.
The episode illustrates how comments about private relationships can quickly become matters of public interest when made by prominent political figures.
It also comes as Obi’s political activities ahead of the 2027 presidential election continue to attract attention. He is currently the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress.
Torch TV News has also reported on political developments involving the NDC and Nigeria’s 2027 election.
Nonye Soludo Clarifies Margaret Obi’s Role
According to the First Lady, the actual godparent connection between the families involves the women.
Nonye Soludo said she is the confirmation godmother to Peter Obi’s daughter. She added that Margaret Obi is the baptismal godmother to one of Soludo’s daughters.
She said neither of the two men has served as godparent to the other’s children.
This clarification is significant because Obi’s original comments suggested a broader godparent relationship involving both couples.
The First Lady’s statement narrowed the relationship to the specific roles she outlined. She also maintained that the families remain on cordial terms.
The statement did not accuse Obi of deliberately misrepresenting the relationship. Instead, it suggested that he may have misspoken during his remarks.
The issue therefore remains focused on correcting the public record rather than announcing any change in relations between the families.
For more reports involving political figures from the South-East, readers can also see this report on NACCIMA’s support for Enugu’s economic ambitions.
Clarification Follows Viral Video
The First Lady’s response was prompted by the widespread circulation of the video containing Obi’s remarks.
As the video spread, members of the public began asking questions about the relationship between the two families. The statement from Nonye Soludo was issued to address those questions directly.
She urged the public and media organisations to take note of the clarification. She also asked them to disregard any impression that Peter Obi is godfather to the governor’s children.
The clarification has now added another element to the recent public exchanges between Obi and the Soludo administration.
The two sides have disagreed over several issues, particularly the financial record of Obi’s tenure. However, Obi has repeatedly said his disagreements with Soludo should not be interpreted as a personal quarrel.
He made the latest remarks about their relationship while speaking to editors in Enugu. He said he would continue to respect Soludo as governor and described their personal relationship in positive terms.
Torch TV News also reported on Obi’s earlier political engagements and calls for accountability from politicians.
Both Families Said to Remain Cordial
Despite the disagreement over the godparent claim, Nonye Soludo said the relationship between the two families remains cordial.
Her statement did not indicate that the clarification was linked to a family dispute. Instead, it focused on correcting what she described as a false impression created by the viral video.
The First Lady also acknowledged that Obi could have made the statement unintentionally. She said it was important to clarify the matter because of the attention the video had received.
The episode comes against the background of heightened political activity ahead of the 2027 elections. Obi is preparing for the presidential contest, while Soludo continues to govern Anambra State.
Their political positions may differ on several issues, but Obi has maintained that those differences have not destroyed their personal relationship.
The latest statement from the First Lady similarly presents the relationship between the families as cordial while correcting the specific claim about godparenthood.
Peter Obi and Soludo Relationship Remains Under Scrutiny
The latest controversy is likely to attract further attention because of the political history between Obi and Soludo.
Both men have held prominent positions in Anambra politics, and their views on the state’s development and finances have recently come under public scrutiny.
Their current disagreement over Anambra’s financial obligations has produced competing claims from Obi and the state government. Obi says he left the state in a strong financial position, while the Soludo administration has disputed that account.
The godparent controversy is separate from those financial arguments. However, it has added another layer to public discussions about the relationship between the two men.
Obi’s recent comments were intended to emphasise that their political differences should not be mistaken for personal hostility. Nonye Soludo’s response similarly described the relationship between the families as cordial.
Torch TV News has also covered other recent political developments involving Peter Obi.
What Nonye Soludo Confirmed
The First Lady’s clarification establishes three key points about the relationship between the families.
First, she said Peter Obi is not the godfather of any of the Soludos’ children. Second, she confirmed that she serves as confirmation godmother to Peter Obi’s daughter.
Third, she said Margaret Obi is the baptismal godmother to one of the Soludos’ daughters. She added that neither Obi nor Soludo has served as godparent to the other’s children.
The clarification followed a statement by Obi that suggested both he and his wife had godparent roles involving Soludo’s children.
The First Lady said the public should disregard that impression. She nevertheless maintained that the relationship between both families remains cordial.
The matter now forms part of the latest public discussion surrounding the two prominent Anambra figures.
Readers can also follow Torch TV News coverage of other South-East political developments for more updates.
Political Differences Continue Despite Family Ties
The clarification comes as political disagreements between Obi and Soludo continue to generate headlines.
Obi has defended his record as Anambra governor against claims about debts and unpaid obligations. Soludo’s administration has maintained its own position on the state’s inherited financial commitments.
Yet Obi has continued to describe Soludo as a respected elder brother. His latest remarks suggest that he considers their political disagreements separate from their personal relationship.
Nonye Soludo’s statement similarly indicates that the families maintain cordial relations. Her concern was specifically about the accuracy of the claim concerning godparenthood.
The clarification therefore provides a distinction between political disagreements and family relationships.
For now, the First Lady has made her position clear: Peter Obi is not godfather to any of her children, while the two families retain the specific godparent relationships she identified.
