Peter Obi and Governor Chukwuma Soludo reignite their rivalry as both trade insults over politics and leadership in Anambra State.
The political rivalry between Anambra State Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo and former governor and 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has intensified as both men exchanged sharp words over leadership and legacy.
Also read: Peter Obi champions youth empowerment at Commonwealth HQ
Obi likened Soludo to a “footballer in a junior league,” while comparing himself to a player in the “Champions League.” Soludo, firing back, described Obi as a “frustrated politician without a club,” accusing him of mismanaging Anambra’s education system during his tenure.
Speaking to journalists after the Anambra governorship election results were announced by INEC, Obi advised Soludo to focus on serving the people rather than trading barbs.
“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.
In his response at the International Conference Centre, Awka, where he received his Certificate of Return alongside Deputy Governor Dr. Onyekachukwu Ibezim, Soludo dismissed Obi’s comments as “bitter frustration.”
“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 remarked.
The governor also accused Obi of attempting to replicate the late Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu’s grassroots political style but failing to make any real impact.
“He even begged his own community not to let him down, yet APGA won in all four wards in his area. APC even won his ward, where we allowed him to win elsewhere to avoid embarrassment,” Soludo added.
The renewed war of words has rekindled political tension in Anambra, where Obi’s Labour Party remains influential among young voters, while Soludo’s All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) continues to control the state government.
Also read: Labour Party Crisis Deepens Over Peter Obi’s 2027 Bid
Observers say the rivalry reflects a broader contest for political dominance in the South-East ahead of the 2027 general elections.
