…as the backlash against Ekwunife continues to swell.
AWKA, NIGERIA – The iNews Times | Senator Uche Ekwunife, the deputy governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Anambra State, has tendered a public apology to Governor Chukwuma Soludo and his wife, Mrs. Nonye Soludo, over controversial comments that sparked widespread backlash in recent days.
The apology comes after a dramatic political exchange in which Mrs. Ekwunife was accused of alleging that Mrs. Soludo had an affair with the late former Anambra Governor, Chinwoke Mbadinuju. The allegation, which suggested that some of the Soludos’ children may not have been fathered by the governor, triggered a fierce response from the First Lady.
In a fiery rebuttal, Mrs. Soludo dismissed the claims as defamatory and challenged Senator Ekwunife to take a chastity oath before the Blessed Sacrament at any Catholic cathedral. “I will swear with my children that in my 55 years on earth, I have known only one man–Chukwuma Soludo,” she stated.
The First Lady went further to propose a comprehensive DNA test to be conducted in three London hospitals at her personal expense for both families. “If after the tests it is confirmed that your husband is the father of all your children, I will congratulate you with a cash award,” she said, setting a deadline for the tests to take place between October and November 2025.
In response to the growing storm, Senator Ekwunife issued a press release through her Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Tony Ezike, offering an unreserved apology to the Governor, his wife, and the general public.
“The attention of Sen. Uche Ekwunife, the Anambra APC Deputy Governorship Candidate, has been drawn to an article falsely attributed to her camp, alleging that Mrs. Nonye Soludo had children for Chief Chris Uba,” the statement read.
“Sen. Ekwunife categorically states that although she has been maligned, defamed, and disparaged by the Governor’s media team, the said publication did not emanate from her or 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.”
She urged her supporters to refrain from provocative media narratives, stating that she remains focused on her campaign and harbours no ill will toward the First Family.
Meanwhile, the backlash against Ekwunife continues to swell. The National Vice Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) for the South East, Rev. Augustine Ehiemere, condemned the remarks attributed to Ekwunife, particularly the alleged claim that Governor Soludo suffers from mouth and body odour.
Describing the comments as “vile, baseless blackmail,” Ehiemere questioned how Ekwunife could have gained such “intimate proximity” to the governor to make such an accusation.
“The APGA Southeast Zone, led by Rev. Augustine Ehiemere, demands to know how Ekwunife could have come into such intimate proximity to the Governor to make such a vile and unfounded accusation,” he said in a statement issued to journalists in Abia State on Tuesday.
As the political climate in Anambra intensifies ahead of the 2025 governorship election, the apology may serve to temper the growing tensions between both camps though observers note that the damage to Ekwunife’s image may linger.
