“Until he understands that the hearts of Nigerian voters cannot be won by tearing down Peter Obi, Soludo will find himself increasingly isolated. He will remain a localised administrator managing a single state, while Peter Obi continues to command the attention, hope, and love of an entire nation”.
BY BEN AHANONU
The continuous and sharp criticism that Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo directs at his predecessor, Peter Obi, has become one of the most prominent features of contemporary Nigerian politics. Despite Soludo’s impressive academic background as a first-class professor of economics and his current powerful role as a second-term executive governor of the Anambra State, he seems trapped in an endless and unnecessary rivalry with Obi.
The plain truth remains that no matter what Soludo achieves during his time in office, Peter Obi stays far more popular than him. This deep-rooted popularity is evident both at home within Anambra State and across the entire nation of Nigeria. By using his highly visible public platform to constantly attack the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Governor Soludo is not showing strength. Instead, he is revealing profound political insecurity and a burning envy that threatens to consume his own political career.
As Senator Victor Umeh rightly pointed out: “No matter what Soludo does, Peter Obi will continue to be more popular than him, both in Nigeria and in Anambra State.”
This bitter rivalry did not start yesterday. It actually goes back many decades to their university days at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. During those early years, Soludo excelled academically and graduated with a celebrated first-class degree, while Obi finished his studies with average grades. Today, when one listens closely to Soludo’s frequent public criticisms, they carry a heavy tone of academic arrogance. It feels as if Soludo genuinely believes that his superior university degrees should automatically earn him a superior amount of love and adulation from the masses.
However, public politics does not operate like a university lecture hall. Charisma and emotional appeal cannot be computed on a standard financial spreadsheet. While Governor Soludo constantly tries to run Anambra State using highly complex macroeconomic theories, Obi has chosen a completely different path. Obi has built an almost indestructible emotional infrastructure across Nigeria by maintaining a simple, accessible, and humble leadership style.
Recently, the friction between the two men reached a new peak over the management of Anambra State’s finances. Soludo’s administration began publicly accusing Obi of leaving behind large external debts from his tenure as governor, which ended over a decade ago. Obi quickly defended his financial record, clarifying that he left no commercial loans or unpaid salaries, and even challenged Soludo’s team to produce verifiable bank statements to prove their claims.
This sudden obsession with deep-diving into historical liabilities from twelve years ago looks less like a genuine quest for financial accountability and more like a targeted political attack. Many everyday citizens and political commentators look at these financial arguments and see a clear manifestation of a “crab mentality”—an attempt to pull down a rising national star just as a major election approaches.
The political strategy of the incumbent governor has taken a very aggressive and risky turn ahead of the 2027 general elections. Even though Soludo successfully secured his second term in office after winning the 2025 Anambra election, he is still heavily invested in federal alignment. Soludo has decided to actively throw his support behind the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and campaign for the re-election of President Bola Tinubu. He is openly urging the electorate of the South-East region to completely abandon Peter Obi and line up behind the federal government.
This calculated move represents a massive political gamble that runs completely against the popular tide of his own constituency. Analysts believe Soludo is playing this dangerous game for two deeply self-interested reasons. First, because he is already serving his final term as governor, he wants to secure a strong post-gubernatorial career by staying in the good graces of the federal power in Abuja. Second, Soludo clearly views himself as a future president of Nigeria. In his long-term calculations, therefore, an Obi presidential victory in 2027 would close the door to any other leader from the South-East region for another eight years. This thought creates deep-seated competitive anxiety inside the governor.
Interestingly, this desperate strategy is heavily backfiring. By constantly dragging Obi’s name into the news and arguing over old legacy projects, Soludo is unintentionally keeping Obi at the absolute centre of the national conversation. If a sitting governor must spend his valuable time telling the public how ineffective his predecessor was, it only tells the world that the predecessor’s shadow is still casting a much longer light than the incumbent’s actual achievements.
Furthermore, this obsession is causing severe cracks within Soludo’s own political household. Prominent political figures and former close allies within Anambra State, such as former members of the House of Representatives, are actively defecting from Soludo’s camp. They are choosing to join and lead Obi’s NDC campaign machinery directly inside Anambra. The people on the ground are showing that they prefer a leader who connects with their daily economic struggles over a professor who lectures them from a distant government house.
Ultimately, Governor Soludo’s behaviour serves as a clear warning about the limits of intellectual elitism in a democracy. A leader cannot command genuine love by acting superior or by trying to erase the popular legacy of another person.
If Governor Soludo wants to build a lasting legacy that truly matches his towering academic credentials, he must learn to look away from the national rockstar who is running for the presidency. He must stop writing long critical essays and stop digging up old financial ledgers to fight political battles.
Until he understands that the hearts of Nigerian voters cannot be won by tearing down Peter Obi, Soludo will find himself increasingly isolated. He will remain a localised administrator managing a single state, while Peter Obi continues to command the attention, hope, and love of an entire nation.
One thing is certain: Chukwuma Soludo, in his shameless zest and overwhelming animosity, will never triumph over the Distinguished Peter Obi — a natural leader of impeccable integrity.
…Prince Ben Ahanonu is Principal Partner with Ben Ahanonu and Associates.
