Anambra State Governor Chukwuma Soludo referred to former Anambra Governor and Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, as his brother and claimed that their conflicts were “fundamentally political.”
Obi ruled Anambra State as a member of Soludo’s All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) from 2006 until 2014. He joined the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2014, ran as Atiku Abubakar’s running mate in 2019, and on May 30 in Asaba, Delta State, won the LP’s presidential nomination.
Ten days had passed since Soludo’s blistering opinion piece on Obi, in which he claimed that his predecessor had exploited his presidential campaign as a means of playing a game he was reportedly unable to win.
The two Anambra political heavyweights were photographed holding hands on Thursday at the St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Awka for the Most Rev. Paulinus Ezeokafor’s 70th Birthday Thanksgiving ceremony.
According to a statement made by Soludo’s press secretary, Christian Aburime, when Soludo got to the church, he went straight to Obi and gave him a bear hug as shocked onlookers looked on.
Soludo announced that he would meet with Obi soon to settle their differences.
“Today is very special. When we came into the service, it was the first time, my brother, Peter Obi and I are meeting at a public event and in a Catholic Church which the two of us belong to. I think it was divine,” the governor said.
“Let me tell you, we spoke two times, just last night. We are brothers. You know I am not one of those politicians that speak from two sides of the mouth. I can’t pretend. I am a politician, but also want to make heaven. I will keep saying the truth.
“There is no rift between Obi and me at a personal level. Nobody snatched each other’s wife. What appears to be the rift between us is fundamentally political differences. Nothing else.”
Soludo also refuted allegations of $28m bribery received by him to run down the LP presidential candidate.
“For those forging blackmail and all that, including the one they said I collected a bribe to say what I said, I asked them to bring it so I will use it to construct roads. If Soludo is into bribery, I would have been a multi-trillionaire now.
“On the fundamental differences we have, we are going to meet in the next few weeks. We’ve agreed to discuss and iron out our differences. We must get it done. Anambra is for all of us.”
While thanking God for the life of the celebrant, Soludo pointed out that the cleric had had a great influence on him and his government.