Soludo’s Comment During Tinubu’s Visit Sparks Backlash Over Historical Inaccuracy and Political Undertones
By Ikechukwu Emeka Onyia II
During President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s recent visit to Anambra State, Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo made a statement that has left many citizens of the state stunned and disappointed. Soludo, in his speech, remarked:
“The last time a president visited for a commissioning was in 2012 for a brewery.”
To the uninformed, it may have seemed like a harmless remark. But to many Anambrarians—particularly those who have closely followed the state’s development trajectory—Soludo’s comment was not only historically inaccurate but seen as a thinly veiled jab at Peter Obi, his long-standing political rival.
Since the 2023 presidential elections, Soludo has hardly hidden his disdain for Obi, often criticizing him directly or indirectly. This latest statement is being interpreted as yet another subtle attack, downplaying the significant projects commissioned in Anambra under Peter Obi’s tenure as governor.
But let’s set the record straight.
In 2012, President Goodluck Jonathan visited Anambra State and commissioned a slew of monumental projects:
Orient Petroleum (a pioneering oil exploration project in the state)
SabMiller Brewery
Orange Drugs Company
Krisoral Company
Onitsha Inland Port
8-lane expansion of the Onitsha Head Bridge–Enugu expressway to Umunya, including new parts and the Nkpor flyover.
These were not just symbolic ribbon-cuttings but actual infrastructural and industrial investments that spurred economic growth in the state.
Even before 2012, in 2010, President Jonathan also commissioned:
Anambra State University Teaching Hospital
State Secretariat Complex
Kenneth Dike Library
Anambra State Emergency Management Complex
Juhel Pharmaceuticals’ Parental Drug Factory
Numerous roads like Zik’s Avenue and Awka-Nkpor road
NAFDAC’s modern quality control laboratory in Agulu
The Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing (IVM) Plant in Nnewi – the pride of Nigerian auto innovation.
Going further back, under President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration in 2006/2007, Anambra received presidential attention with the commissioning of:
Onitsha Business Park
Revenue House in Awka
Fire Service Headquarters in Awka
The Awka-Nibo-Nise-Enugwu Ukwu ring road project, among others.
All these happened while Peter Obi was governor. It is therefore factually wrong and deeply unfair for Governor Soludo to reduce that period of massive infrastructural advancement to just a “brewery visit.”
As the current governor and supposed chief marketing officer of Anambra State, Soludo had a golden opportunity to highlight the state’s achievements, attract federal attention and possibly secure more support. Instead, he chose a narrative that downplays the state’s progress and contradicts public records.
At a time when states should be showcasing their readiness for partnership and federal investments, the governor’s dismissive comment not only demarketed Anambra but also cast doubt on the sincerity of his leadership narrative.
Many of us who know Anambra’s recent history cannot allow such revisionism to stand. Facts matter. And the legacy of progress in Anambra State—especially under previous administrations—must be acknowledged and preserved.