Obi To Soludo: Your Victory Should Inspire Grace — Not Vengeance

The presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr. Peter Obi, has urged Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, to embrace humility, gratitude and compassion in the discharge of his duties, describing the governor’s recent public remarks as “unfortunate and bitter.”

Obi, who spoke with journalists at the just-concluded Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) conference at the Naval Base, Abuja, congratulated Soludo on securing a second term in office and advised him to respond to victory with “grace rather than resentment.” His comments followed Soludo’s controversial outburst at his certificate-of-return ceremony, where the governor mocked Obi as a “frustrated politician without a club” and accused him of undermining education in Anambra.

Obi said he felt obliged to respond to the remarks to avoid the impression that he was evading the matter. He expressed surprise that Soludo chose an event meant for thanksgiving to “display bitterness,” insisting that leadership demands sobriety and gratitude. He also clarified his role in the recent governorship election, stating that he attended only three public engagements of the Labour Party candidate, strictly by invitation, and did not mention Soludo or any other candidate during those appearances.

Reflecting on Election Day, Obi recount­ed his attempt to quell tension in his community after irregularities and disruptions were reported. He described how he intervened when non-residents attempted to vote, urging calm to prevent violence. Leadership, he said, must prioritise fairness, restraint and the dignity of the people, even in difficult circumstances.

Responding to Soludo’s football analogy, Obi offered one of his own, noting that while governorship candidates are competing in the “first division,” he has since moved into the “Champions League” of national politics, having contested the vice presidency in 2019 and the presidency in 2023, where he won 11 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

Obi further reflected on his tenure and the history of governance in Anambra, noting that only he and former Governor Jim Nwobodo became governors in their forties. “I was the first to complete a second tenure,” he said, stressing that he holds no personal grievance against Soludo. He prayed for God to lift the governor to “greater heights,” if such progress would inspire qualities of humility and compassion.