Former Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, has dismissed reports alleging that he attacked Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, over the governor’s perceived attitude toward the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi.
In a statement issued through his Special Assistant, Hygg Obialor, Ngige clarified that his comments during a birthday interview with Signature TV on August 8, 2025, were misrepresented due to selective editing. He explained that the controversial remark — “I don’t want to be like Soludo whom our people wrongly perceive everything he says to be against Peter Obi” — was lifted out of context, creating a false impression that he was attacking Governor Soludo.
According to Ngige, the statement was never intended to portray hostility towards Soludo, whom he acknowledged has a constitutional right to his own opinions. He further revealed that Signature TV has since apologized for the misleading presentation and is taking steps to correct the narrative.
Addressing broader points from the interview, Ngige reaffirmed his respect for both Governor Soludo and Mr. Obi. He recounted the challenging conditions he met when he became governor of Anambra State — including unpaid salaries, pensions, gratuities, rampant insecurity, and entrenched corruption.
Ngige said his administration successfully cleared arrears inherited from the Mbadinuju government, increased pensions by 142%, and ensured that entitlements became first-line charges. He also noted that under his leadership, Anambra won multiple national educational awards between 2004 and 2006, achievements that laid a foundation for future administrations, including Obi’s tenure.
The former governor disclosed that Mr. Obi inherited N13.8 billion in state accounts from his administration, with N8.7 billion in the Infrastructure Account and N2.8 billion reserved for education in the ASUBEB account.
Speaking on Soludo’s leadership, Ngige described the current governor as a “distinguished son of Anambra” and a “diligent steward” of public resources. He recalled publicly commending Soludo’s performance during the second and third anniversaries of his administration, insisting that his latest comments were in no way a critique.
