The political tension in Anambra State has deepened as Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo and his wife, Dr. Nonye Soludo, have publicly rejected an apology issued on behalf of Senator Uche Ekwunife, the Deputy Governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), over allegations of infidelity.
The controversy began after a heated verbal exchange between Senator Ekwunife and Governor Soludo, reportedly triggered by the governor’s accusation that Ekwunife held a fake PhD. In her rebuttal, the senator dragged the governor’s wife into the fray, levelling allegations of infidelity—a claim that Dr. Nonye Soludo vehemently denied. She went as far as challenging Ekwunife to undergo fidelity and paternity tests alongside her family to substantiate or refute the claims.
Amid growing public scrutiny, a statement was released by Ekwunife’s media aide, Tony Ezike, offering an apology to the Soludos and the public. The statement also disowned a viral article suggesting that former PDP stalwart Chief Chris Uba fathered some of the Soludos’ children. Ekwunife denied involvement in the publication and urged supporters to steer clear of further controversy, insisting the article did not emanate from her or her campaign.
“The attention of Sen. Uche Ekwunife… has been drawn to an article falsely attributed to her camp… She further wishes to apologise to the Governor, his wife, and the general public who may have been affected by the altercations of the past few days,” the statement read.
However, the Soludo family is not accepting the apology, calling it “another fabrication” and “unfit for anything but the waste bin.”
In a strongly worded counter-statement issued by the Governor’s Senior Special Assistant on New Media, Mazi Ejimofor Opara, the government dismissed the apology as unauthentic, claiming it did not come from Senator Ekwunife directly. The statement noted that the original defamatory remarks were made in a recorded video and leaked audio, implying that any genuine apology must be issued through similar public channels.
“The so-called apology never referenced Madam Ekwunife’s initial video and audio but instead focused on an unsigned article,” Opara stated. “It implies that no genuine apology was intended or tendered.”
Furthermore, the Soludo camp pointed out the absence of an official “Ekwunife Campaign Organization,” stressing that she is a running mate and not a principal candidate, making the origin of the apology statement questionable.
Governor Soludo’s team maintained their demand for a direct and unambiguous retraction from Ekwunife herself, stating, “Slander or libel directly made by an individual cannot be vicariously dismissed by any agent or proxy.”
Meanwhile, the dispute threatens to overshadow substantive campaign issues in the lead-up to the November 8, 2025 governorship election. The governor’s office has declared that it will continue to treat the circulated apology as non-existent until Senator Ekwunife personally addresses the allegations and offers a direct apology.
