By Peter Omopo | September 14, 2025
The build-up to the November 8 governorship election in Anambra State has taken a dramatic turn as the state’s First Lady, Dr. Nonye Soludo, and the All Progressives Congress (APC) deputy governorship candidate, Senator Uche Ekwunife, clashed in a heated exchange of accusations.
Mrs. Soludo, in a statement on Saturday, accused Ekwunife of spreading “malicious allegations and lies” against her family and threatened legal action unless the former lawmaker retracted her claims within 72 hours.
Her reaction followed a viral video in which Ekwunife criticised Governor Chukwuma Soludo and alleged that both the governor and his wife were linked to the Chinwoke Mbadinuju administration (1999–2003), which many regarded as unsuccessful. The senator also alleged impropriety in Mrs. Soludo’s past relationship with the late governor.
Ekwunife’s remarks were reportedly in response to claims that her academic credentials — including her PhD certificate and GCE results — were questionable and rendered her unfit for the deputy governorship position.
In her rebuttal, Mrs. Soludo challenged Ekwunife to take a public oath of fidelity and suggested DNA tests for their children at reputable London hospitals, stressing that her integrity and marriage remained intact.
“I never met Dr. Mbadinuju of blessed memory in my life. In my 55 years on planet earth, I have known only one man, Chukwuma Soludo. I married him as a virgin, and my fidelity to him in 33 years of marriage and for life is ironclad. This may be difficult for an Uche Ekwunife to comprehend,” she said.
But in a swift response, Ekwunife dismissed the challenges, insisting that the First Lady was dragging her into personal matters that should concern only her husband.
“Mrs. Nonye Soludo doesn’t owe me explanations on her chastity or her children’s paternity. She owes her husband those explanations. If Soludo demands a DNA test, let her go ahead and do it with her full chest. Why drag me into her personal and family affairs?” the APC candidate retorted.
She maintained that her comments were meant as “friendly advice” and urged the governor’s wife not to be distracted by what she described as trivial issues.
The fiery exchanges mark one of the most personal confrontations yet in the tense campaigns leading up to the Anambra governorship election.
