Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo of Anambra State has firmly rejected a reported apology from Senator Uche Ekwunife over alleged defamatory statements made against him and his wife, describing the apology as fake, suspicious, and lacking any form of sincerity.
In a strongly worded statement issued on Wednesday, the Governor’s Senior Special Assistant on New Media, Dr. Ejimofor Opara, dismissed the so-called apology as a “fabrication fit for the waste bin” that did not come from Senator Ekwunife herself.
The statement was in response to a document circulating online, said to be from the “Ekwunife Campaign Organization,” apologising for past defamatory comments allegedly made by the senator about Governor Soludo and the First Lady, Dr. Nonye Soludo. But the Governor’s camp says the document is not only unsigned but also questionable in its origin and content.
“There is no such thing as an ‘Ekwunife Campaign Organization’ since her senatorial campaign was tied to the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship ticket in Anambra. This press release has no credibility,” Opara said.
He further noted that the apology failed to address the specific video and audio recordings where Senator Ekwunife allegedly made defamatory statements against the Soludos. Instead, it focused on an unrelated and unsigned article, which, according to him, suggests that the so-called apology was not genuine.
“The apology never referenced Madam Ekwunife’s initial video and leaked audio where she personally made defamatory statements. Instead, it focused on a vague article. This points to her complicity and shows no genuine apology was made,” the statement read.
Governor Soludo’s office insisted that any true apology must come directly from Senator Ekwunife, using the same public channels—especially the video and audio platforms—where the alleged slander was originally made.
“No one can apologise for another person’s slander. A fake press release cannot undo personal defamation,” Opara stated. “Slander or libel directly made by an individual cannot be dismissed by a third party acting as a proxy.”
The statement added that the First Lady, Dr. Nonye Soludo, had earlier challenged Senator Ekwunife to prove her innocence by taking two public steps:
Swearing an oath before the Blessed Sacrament to affirm the truthfulness of her marriage and character.
Submitting her children for DNA tests, alongside the Soludos’ children, to counter the allegations of infidelity she allegedly made.
The Governor’s aide stressed that anything short of these direct actions will not be accepted as a genuine effort at reconciliation or apology.
“This is not the kind of issue that can be swept under the carpet with an anonymous press statement,” Opara said. “If Senator Ekwunife truly regrets her statements, she must make a personal and public retraction—no half-measures.”
The Soludo administration also described the apology document as part of a wider trend of “unsubstantiated social media gossip” that seeks to confuse the public and shift focus from the main issues.
“We will continue to treat the so-called apology as if it never existed. Until we receive a proper and unambiguous retraction from Senator Ekwunife herself, the matter remains unresolved,” Opara concluded.
The dispute between Governor Soludo and Senator Ekwunife appears to stem from controversial comments allegedly made by the senator in a now widely circulated video and leaked audio clip. In those recordings, she is said to have made personal accusations against the Governor and the First Lady—comments that the Soludo family says are false, damaging, and unacceptable.
Though Senator Ekwunife has not personally confirmed or denied the statements, the supposed apology from a campaign group bearing her name surfaced online this week. But Governor Soludo’s camp insists that only a direct, public retraction from the senator herself will be considered meaningful.
