Renewed Rivalry: Obi, Soludo engage in heated war of words

The political rivalry between Anambra Governor Chukwuma Soludo and former Governor and 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi has intensified, with both leaders trading words.

Obi described Soludo as a footballer in a junior league while claiming he himself has moved to a higher league.

In response, Soludo called Obi a frustrated politician “without a club” and accused him of damaging the education system in Anambra, promising to expose his mistakes one day.

Speaking after the announcement of the governorship results by INEC, Obi told reporters that Soludo should focus on working for the people. “He should concentrate on making the state livable for the people. I didn’t contest in the election. I was a governor 13 years ago. In football terms, he is in the junior league while I have moved on to the Champions League,” Obi said.

Soludo responded at the International Conference Centre, Awka, while receiving his Certificate of Return with Deputy Dr. Onyekachukwu Ibezim. He said Obi’s political frustration is evident.

“We tried to guide him to play in the Champions League, but he keeps moving from one place to another, and now he is without a club. Idleness and repeated losses can affect someone’s mind,” Soludo said.

He added that Obi tried to imitate the late Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu by campaigning across communities and raising other people’s hands, but it failed.

“He even begged his own community not to let him down, yet APGA won in all four wards in his area. APC won his ward where we chose to let him win elsewhere to avoid embarrassment,” Soludo said.