Cajetan Mmuta, Awka
Last week, the true identities and personalities of the two characters of the Anambra State Governor, Professor Charles Chukwuma Soludo, and the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) for the 2023 general elections, Mr. Peter Obi, were laid bare before the eyes of the world.

Both Soludo and Obi are distinguished sons of the Anambra State. Charlie Nwamgbafor, the governor, hails from Aguata local government area in the South senatorial district and Okwute, former Governor of the state, comes from Anaocha local government area in the Central senatorial district of the state respectively.

They share a common ancestral affinity in blood and faith as the Catholic faithful. Prof Soludo as a renowned Economist was the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for four years while Obi, as a former Governor of the state for eight good years, also remains a businessman as well as a banker.

However, it has remained a puzzle to many; the avoidable rancorous outbursts last week as both political actors and leaders, though in different realms of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and Labour Party (LP), now engage each other in a fierce battle of wits.

Critics and analysts have taken different positions on the issues which are now the subject of public discussion.

Individuals and groups have vented their spleen to condemn the avoidable circumstance, particularly, at this moment of national life. Unfortunately, as the unfolding drama remains, an Igbo parable has it that if the rainfall covers evil foot marks, it cannot cover evil comments, (Mmiri maruo ajo ukwu, onaghi amaru ajo uka).

It must be noted that there is no smoke without fire. The late Achebe was right when he said that he, who gathers insects-infested firewood, invites lizards to feast.

Soludo last Tuesday stirred the hornet’s nest when he fired the corrosive volleys of an expose,’ taunted and ridiculed Obi in his quest for next year’s Presidency, especially, his desire to wrest the country and by extension Ndigbo out of the woods. It is instructive that Soludo’s treatise was aimed at whittling down Obi’s influence and rising profile.

Recall that, Soludo had during a live television interview two weeks ago watered down on the over N75bn investments on behalf of the state said to have been made by Obi in some commercial banks, which formed part of what contained in his handover note to his successor when he left office as governor of the state, a development that sparked controversies and concerns.

The dust of the live interview is yet to die down when the governor again reeled out a lengthy treatise in a statement he tagged ‘History Beckons and I will not be silent (Part 1)’.

He said Obi’s ambition for the Presidency was nothing more than a dream. He also took on Obi’s claim of making huge savings for Anambra State during his tenure, saying that governments exist to save lives and not to save money.

Soludo’s attempted point-to-point explanations about his encounter with Obi, no doubt, earned him a dangerous touch on the lion’s tail. His core undoing was his seeming prophetic doom that Obi’s presidential ambition for 2023 was a daydream and described the ‘Obi-dients’ movement as a social media mob. Also, he noted that the LP is a party with literally zero structure and that Obi’s move to Labour Party was an attempt to weaken the same PDP he saw as the saviour earlier.

But, Obi in a quick reply said as former governor of the state he had done his best even as a trader and challenged Soludo to do his own as a professor.

Obi said that while he is a trader, Soludo is a professor who is older and more intelligent and should therefore continue with the provision of effective governance in the state.

He said that God had allowed Soludo to handle and succeed in areas in which he (Obi) did not perform successfully.

According to Obi, while he had done his work as a trader, Soludo can do his things as a professor and excel.

For a quick reminder, Soludo’s hay days in the CBN saw the consolidation of the nation’s banks and subsequent introduction of new naira notes such as the N1, 000, N500, N200, and other laudable economic and financial policies.

He served as Special Adviser to ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo on Economic Affairs. In 2010, the Aguata-born economics tsar began to nurse his ambition to govern the state. He contested under the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and did not win but clinched the third position; Dr Chris Ngige clinched the second position while Peter Obi emerged tops as the flag bearer of the APGA.

He later joined APGA but between 2013 and 2014, when Obi was on the verge of leaving office, Soludo obtained APGA’s nomination form to contest for the governorship. He was however screened out by the party on two grounds that he did not present his tax certificate and that he was not a card-carrying member of APGA.

Chief Willie Obiano, who then was Obi’s choice candidate won the party’s ticket. The former CBN boss remained in the party and supported Obiano’s second term.

He was later considered and given a nomination ticket by APGA for the plum job, having been favoured by the zoning arrangement and principles of equity and fairness in the state. On November 6th 2021, he merged governor with the strong support of immediate past Governor Obiano.

Some analysts believe that Soludo may have embarked on a vendetta mission because it’s rumoured that he is against Obi and Senator Victor Umeh’s next political move.

The governor was said to have been behind the failure of Senator Umeh to secure the ticket for the Anambra Central senatorial zone under APGA which was won by Dozie Nwankwo of APGA. Today, Umeh is the LP candidate for the senatorial race.

It is on record that Obi pulled out of APGA in the wake of the rancour that webbed the fold, contrary to his avowed commitment to the late Dim Chukwuemeka Odimegwu Ojukwu to keep the party’s flag flying and not to leave it.

In 2019, Obi became the vice-presidential candidate for Alhaji Atiku Abubakar presidency under the PDP during the second term quest of President Muhammadu Buhari, which was won by the APC.

He dumped the PDP midway amid the north-south dichotomy and intensified agitations for Presidency by the South-East geo-political zone, with rare and extraordinary resolve to contest for the 2023 Presidency.

Surprisingly, Obi pitched a tent with the Labour Party (LP) with commands massive sensitization, awareness, and decisions to change the narrative in what is today the ‘Obi-dients’ movement or the Obi-Datti Movement that has continued to gain the favour and attention of millions of deprived and dejected poor masses caged by insecurity – (banditry, ethnic militia groups, arms upheaval, kidnappings, impunity of corruption and ritual killings, etc).

In another development, some stakeholders were of the view that the cold war between the two brothers, is uncalled for but for the apparent misgivings and unhappy treatment being suffered by some key APGA members, from the last days of Obiano’s government till Soludo’s emergence as governor. The exit of Obi and Umeh is said to have hit the fold hard.

Some of the aggrieved stakeholders of APGA are said to have vowed to pay the governor in bad coin when the occasion calls for the much-expected local government election, promised by the governor.

133m poor Nigerians: SERAP asks Buhari to probe spending on ‘social intervention programmes’

Obi was governor for eight years (2006 -2014) during a period of unprecedented oil boom and prosperity in Nigeria (the Nigerian economy was growing at an average of 6-8 per cent per annum, and oil price was highest during this time).

He said, “It is not too late for Ohanaeze Ndigbo and progressive Igbo leaders to pre-emptively start charting a pragmatic future for Ndigbo in Nigeria after the elections.

“For us as leaders, the lives of tens of millions are at stake. We have a historic duty to act and being silent or politically correct is not an option. For starters, Ohanaeze should study the report of my committee (planning and strategy) in 2019. It may still be relevant today. Second, Ndigbo should seriously study the MoU signed at the Yar’Adua Centre in 2010.

“The leader of Igbo Political Association, Chief Simon Okeke, and our members are still there. Thirdly and for me, Ndigbo should strategize and bargain, especially with the two candidates likely to be president on at least four central issues: lasting peace and security in the South-East, including the release and engagement with Nnamdi Kanu.”

In reaction, the Obi-Datti Campaign Organisation of Mr Peter Obi said that there is no time to respond to or pay attention to Governor Charles Soludo’s diatribe.

It said that the Presidential hopeful is preoccupied with convincing voters that a new Nigeria is possible through rigorous campaigns. The LP Presidential Candidate’s team spoke through a spokesperson of the Obi-Datti Presidential Campaign Organisation, Ndi Kato.

Also, Ozonna Soludo, one of the sons of the Governor of Anambra State, said Obi is the best among the candidates contesting the presidency in 2023.

Ozonna said while he does not want to be dragged into politics, he prefers Obi to other candidates.

The 28-year-old UK-based artiste disclosed this in a comment on Facebook in response to a social media post criticising his father for a scathing attack on Obi and opposing his presidential ambition.

He wrote, “I am not an extension of anybody. I have my own opinions and have always said I think Peter is the best candidate. All this has nothing to do with me,” he said.

On its part, the apex socio-cultural organisation, the Ohanaeze Ndigbo, had lashed out at Soludo, over his comment on Peter Obi. This was as the Igbo group said it had dragged Soludo to two deities in Igbo land, for discrediting the legacies of Peter Obi. The group said this in a statement signed by its Secretary-General, Okechukwu Isiguzoro.

Ohanaeze said, “Ndigbo have dragged Governor Soludo to the two famous divinities and deities (Chokoleze in Mbaise and Ubiniukpabi in Arochuku) for his unreasonable public behaviour. “Governor Soludo’s actions are ridiculous, unreasonable, and premature; there was no locus for the Governor’s outburst and the sanctions against Soludo to face Igbo deities will serve as a deterrent to South-East politicians who have been hired by enemies of Ndigbo and Nigerians to derail the Obi’s presidency in 2023.

“Governor Soludo exposed and indicted himself of treachery when he discredited APGA and Labour Party’s presidential candidates as not viable alternatives to win the 2023 elections. “How can a state governor of two presidential candidates (APGA and LP) make such a public declaration?

“He has confirmed that he is the number one enemy of the new Nigeria and was hired by an unpopular presidential candidate who is looking for Igbo politicians to pull down Obi’s popularity ahead of the 2023 elections.

“We advise Soludo to concentrate on the current crisis in Anambra State and APGA and stop casting innuendo and aspersions on the person of Obi is not in the same political party as him and is not fighting the Anambra State government.”