Governor Charles Soludo of Anambra State has denied asking members of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) to work against the Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, in the 2023 general elections.
Soludo, a member of the APGA, met his party members last week. After the meeting, a report presented itself alleging that the governor charged the party members to work against Obi in the forthcoming presidential election. But in a statement on Wednesday by his spokesperson, Christian Aburime, the governor described the report as “fallacious, distasteful and mischievous.” Soludo said he only had a “private meeting with party members,” pointing out that it was a routine gathering where “issues concerning APGA are discussed.”
“At no time during the meeting was Peter Obi, a point of discourse,” he said. The governor said the clarification was necessary to correct the misinformation caused by the report. “We, therefore, urge Ndi Anambra and members of the general public to completely ignore and disregard the publication in its entirety,” Soludo added.
Since he emerged as the LP candidate, Obi, a former governor of Anambra State has been garnering support from Nigerians across the country and from Nigerians in the Diaspora.
Obi served as the governor of Anambra State between 2006 and 2014 under the platform of APGA. In October 2014, seven months after handing over to Willie Obiano, the former governor defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Obi, who was Abubakar’s running mate in the PDP in the 2019 presidential election, was among the PDP presidential aspirants this year.
He announced his resignation from the PDP a few days before the party presidential primary, saying there were practices in the party that were inconsistent with his “belief and persona”.
He defected to the LP where he later emerged as the party’s 2023 presidential candidate.
APGA, his former party, is fielding a presidential candidate for the 2023 general election. The APGA candidate, Peter Umeadi, hails from the same Anambra State as Obi.
Soludo has repeatedly said, as a party man, he would support the APGA candidate for the 2023 election, although “he wishes Obi well” in his presidential ambition.
