APGA Accuses Umeh of Double Standards in Soludo–Obi Feud

Evangelist Chinedu Obigwe

By Titus Eleweke

The National Coordinator of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) Media Warriors Forum, Evangelist Chinedu Obigwe, has accused Senator Victor Umeh of double standards in his comments on the political relationship between Anambra State Governor Chukwuma Soludo and former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi, alleging that Umeh’s criticism of Soludo is influenced by his political interests.

Obigwe, in a strongly worded statement, dismissed Umeh’s claim that envy and hatred were responsible for what he described as Soludo’s attacks on Obi, insisting that the allegation was unfounded and did not reflect the political history between the two former Anambra governors.

He argued that Soludo had no reason to envy Obi, maintaining instead that Obi was the one who, in his view, regarded Soludo as a political threat.

According to Obigwe, the political rivalry between the two men dates back to the 2010 Anambra governorship election, when Soludo contested against Obi, who was then the incumbent governor.

Obigwe alleged that Obi presented a misleading account of Soludo’s political ambitions to then-President Goodluck Jonathan, suggesting that Soludo would contest the 2011 presidential election against him if he became governor.

He claimed that the allegation was intended to secure Jonathan’s political support and federal backing for Obi during the governorship contest.

“Knowing this, even if I am sleeping, I will say it boldly that Peter Obi is more envious and jealous of Soludo,” Obigwe declared.

He argued that the political rivalry between the two leaders had been misrepresented by those seeking to portray Soludo as acting out of personal animosity.

He further argued that the controversy surrounding Umeh’s comments could not be properly understood without examining the senator’s political history with Soludo and Obi.

Obigwe alleged that Umeh’s position was influenced by his political relationship with Obi and his desire to benefit from the former governor’s political platform.

He maintained that Umeh’s criticism of Soludo should therefore be assessed against the background of their previous political disagreements.

The APGA chieftain identified the 2022 APGA governorship and legislative primary processes as a key point of disagreement between Soludo and Umeh ahead of the 2023 general elections.

According to Obigwe, Soludo’s offence, from Umeh’s perspective, was his insistence that the senator submit himself to the party’s primary election process rather than expect political intervention in his favour.

Obigwe said Umeh participated in the APGA primary election but lost to Dozie Nwankwo.

He alleged that the outcome contributed to Umeh’s decision to explore another political platform, eventually aligning with Obi and the Labour Party.

Obigwe subsequently drew a comparison between the APGA primary and the later developments surrounding the National Democratic Congress (NDC), alleging that Umeh also lost the party’s primary election to Nwabueze Oli.

He claimed that, despite the primary outcome, the party leadership denied Oli the ticket and favoured Umeh, with Obi allegedly supporting the decision.

Obigwe argued that the circumstances surrounding the NDC primary were particularly significant because, in his view, they illustrated the difference between Soludo’s approach to party nominations and the political intervention he alleged Obi supported in Umeh’s favour.

“What Peter Obi did for Victor Umeh against Nwabueze Oli was what Victor Umeh expected Governor Soludo to do for him in 2022 against Dozie Nwankwo, but Soludo rejected doing that as a true democrat,” Obigwe said.

He maintained that Soludo’s insistence on the primary election process was consistent with democratic principles, while accusing Umeh of expecting preferential treatment from the governor.

Obigwe also challenged Umeh’s credibility by recalling his alleged past disagreements with Obi during the administration of former Anambra State Governor Willie Obiano.

According to him, Umeh had previously described Obi as a pathological liar and had claimed that he taught the former governor politics.

Obigwe questioned the consistency of Umeh’s current position in view of those alleged past remarks, arguing that the senator’s changing political alignments raised questions about the basis of his present criticism of Soludo.

He urged Nigerians to examine the political history of the three figures rather than accept claims about envy and hatred without considering the events and disagreements that have shaped their relationships.

Obigwe however accused Umeh of inconsistency and political opportunism, maintaining that the senator’s current position on the Soludo–Obi controversy should be viewed in the context of his past political disagreements and subsequent alliances.