Lawrence Nwimo, Awka
Governor Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State has denied allegations that he consulted a native doctor regarding his reelection prospects in the November 8 governorship election in the state.
Soludo described a viral video and publications making the rounds as “totally false” and “maliciously fabricated.”
According to a statement by the Governor’s Press Secretary, Christian Aburime, a video clip circulating online was taken out of context.
Aburime said the clip was from a recent meeting with Anambra-based content creators, where one of the creators performed a native doctor skit as part of an entertainment performance.
He clarified that the meeting was aimed at strengthening the partnership between the state government and the creative industry, and not a consultation session.
The statement read: “The attention of Anambra State Government has been drawn to a malicious and deliberately fabricated online publication and social media comments making spurious claims that the Governor of Anambra State, Professor Chukwuma Charles Soludo, CFR, consulted a native doctor regarding his reelection prospects. The State Government hereby debunks the allegations as totally false.
“For the interest of the general public, the video clip being maliciously circulated and misrepresented, as evidence of native doctor consultation, was taken during a recent official government meeting with Anambra-based content creators.
“The session, facilitated by the Special Senior Assistant to the Governor on New Media, Mazi Ejimofor Opara, was organised to strengthen the partnership between the State Government and the creative industry as part of Governor Soludo’s commitment in encouraging and supporting Anambra’s creative economy.
“During the interactive session, content creators were encouraged to showcase their talents, ask questions, and share their concerns about the creative industry in the state. As part of the presentations, one of the content creators performed a native doctor skit, a common comic genre in Nigerian entertainment, to demonstrate their creative abilities to the Governor and other officials present. This was purely an entertainment performance by a content creator, not a consultation session.”
The State Government expressed deep disappointment that critics and political opponents would resort to fabricating malicious narratives from an innocent entertainment performance and spreading misinformation to mislead the public.
They emphasized that Governor Soludo, instead of engaging in frivolous consultations, had consistently demonstrated his commitment to developing Anambra’s creative economy through investment plans as part of the state’s economic diversification strategy.
The State Government also clarified that Governor Soludo does not need consultations with any native doctor to win reelection, as he relies solely on the support of the people based on his performance.
