The wife of the governor of Anambra State, Nonye Soludo, has debunked claims being peddled by opposition politicians in the state about the arrogance of her husband, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo.
Opposition parties have been spreading rumors that the governor arrogates infallibility to himself, urging Anambra people not to vote for someone who believes he knows everything.
Speaking with journalists at the Anambra Governor’s Lodge in Amawbia during a recent meeting, Mrs. Soludo countered these claims, stating that, on the contrary, her husband is a jovial person who enjoys good jokes and is a perfect family man.
Recalling her relationship with Soludo during her university days at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, where he was a lecturer, the First Lady said her husband only displays seriousness when he has a task at hand, which is evident in the way he is handling Anambra’s affairs.
She said: “My husband has always been a very serious-minded person from his days as a lecturer at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. Of course, he is a very jovial person, but when he sets his mind on anything, he gives it his best, and that is why people think he is overly serious.
“While he was a lecturer at UNN, and I was a student, we met each other and got into a relationship. Because many students feared him and his seriousness, my friends always pitied me. They used to ask how I related with this man who was so strict and never laughed with anyone, always serious with work.
“But what they didn’t know was that he was a very soft and jovial man who cracked jokes a lot. Of course, he was always strict with his work, and many mistook that to be his only personality. But the truth is, he can be fun to be with.”
Speaking about her husband’s tenure as CBN governor, Mrs. Soludo said: “During his days as governor of CBN, we received numerous threats, and I withdrew our children from school several times because of threats of harm. But each time I told him, he only said nothing could happen to us because he was fighting a just cause to salvage the country.
“But when it became too much, I didn’t listen to his assurances any longer, and I took the children abroad.
“My husband is like that. When he sets his mind to work, it is just work, work, work, and because of that, people do not see the other side of him. But the truth is, he is a very jovial person who listens to other people’s views and even encourages others to speak their minds.
“I don’t know where people got this impression that he is someone who is not approachable or does not listen to people. I think it’s politicians that are spreading such falsehoods.”