Anambra State Governor, Chukwuma Soludo, has clarified the godparent relationship between his family and that of former governor Peter Obi, confirming that Obi’s wife is the baptismal godmother of one of his children.
Soludo also disclosed that his wife, Nonye, is the confirmation godmother of Obi’s daughter, months after a disagreement over the nature of the relationship between the two families.
The governor made the clarification during an interview with BBC News Igbo on Monday, describing Obi as a close friend and insisting that their families remained on good terms despite their political differences.
“Peter Obi and I are good friends. Our two families are on good terms. His wife was the godmother of my child at baptism, and my wife was the godmother of his child at confirmation,” he said.
Soludo explained that their disagreements were political, adding that both men had different preferences for who should govern Anambra State.
“I have a different vision of who should be governor of Anambra State. I am contesting, and he supported whoever he felt should be governor. I prevailed by the grace of God, and I don’t hold it against him,” the governor said.
The clarification revisits a controversy that began on September 25, when Obi told the Nigerian Guild of Editors’ 22nd conference in Enugu that he and his wife were godparents to Soludo’s children.
The former governor had cited the relationship while dismissing claims that he was at loggerheads with Soludo over disagreements concerning the state’s finances and politics.
“My wife and I are godparents to Soludo’s children. Yes, we are that close. We are not quarrelling, and we will never quarrel,” Obi had said.
However, a media aide to the Anambra First Lady, Daniel Ezeigwe, disputed the claim the following day.
Ezeigwe explained that Margaret Obi was the baptismal godmother of one of Soludo’s daughters, while Nonye Soludo was the confirmation godmother of Obi’s daughter.
He stressed that neither Obi nor Soludo had formally served as godparent to the other’s children, saying the clarification was necessary to address what he described as a misleading impression created by Obi’s remarks.
The disagreement generated reactions, with Ezeigwe later urging Obi’s supporters to stop what he described as misrepresentations of Catholic practices concerning godparenting.
