Soludo says Peter Obi's wife is godmother to his child, calls him a close friend
- Anambra Governor Chukwuma Soludo said Margaret Obi is baptismal godmother to one of his daughters.
- He said his wife Nonye is confirmation godmother to Obi's daughter, matching a September clarification.
- Soludo told BBC Igbo News the two families remain close despite their political differences.
Anambra State Governor Chukwuma Soludo has said his family and that of former governor Peter Obi remain close, describing the ties between them as godparent relationships rather than a political alliance.
In an interview with BBC News Igbo aired on Monday, Soludo said Obi's wife, Margaret, stood as godmother at the baptism of one of his children. His own wife, Nonye, he said, is confirmation godmother to one of Obi's daughters.
He described Obi, now the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), as a good friend, adding that politics had not broken the bond between their households.
"Peter Obi and I are good friends. Our two families are on good terms," Soludo said.
Why the relationship drew attention
The subject became public on September 25, when Obi told the Nigerian Guild of Editors conference in Enugu that he and his wife were godparents to Soludo's children. He raised it while dismissing talk of a personal quarrel with the governor amid a dispute over Anambra's finances.
A day later, the office of the Anambra First Lady issued a statement through her media aide, Daniel Ezeigwe, saying Obi had it slightly wrong. According to that statement, Margaret Obi was baptismal godmother to one of Soludo's daughters, while Nonye Soludo was confirmation godmother to Obi's daughter. Neither man, the office said, had served as a godparent to the other's children.
Soludo's account on Monday matches that clarification: the godparent links are between the wives, not the two politicians.
The September exchange came against the background of a row over loans and savings from Obi's time as governor. Soludo's administration said it was still repaying debts left by earlier governments, including Obi's. Obi rejected the claim that he left debts, saying he handed over substantial savings when he left office in 2014.
What happens next
On politics, Soludo said he and Obi simply want different things for Anambra. He said he is contesting the state's leadership while Obi backed another candidate, and that he does not hold that against him.
"I have a different vision of who should be governor of Anambra State," he said, adding that he prevailed "by the grace of God."
Neither camp has indicated any further step. For now, the two families appear to have agreed publicly on one point at least: the friendship survives the politics.
