Soludo’S war against Obi of Onitsha, Traditional Rulers
Soludo’S war against Obi of Onitsha, Traditional Rulers
ANAMBRA PATRIOTS DEMAND REJECTION OF SOLUDO IN NOVEMBER 8 GOVERNORSHIP POLL.
The Anambra Patriots, a coalition of cultural advocates, civil society leaders, and concerned indigenes, has called on voters across the state to decisively reject Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s re-election bid and elect Prince Nicholas and Senator Uche Ekwunife, the All Progressive Congress Candidate as Governor and Deputy Governor in the November 8, 2025, governorship election.
*The group accuses Soludo of systematically “desecrating” Anambra’s revered traditional institutions through a series of actions they describe as “disrespectful, authoritarian, and antithetical to Igbo cultural heritage.”*
The Patriots’ statement, signed by convener Chief Emeka Okafor and circulated via social media and traditional media outlets, lists four key grievances: the perceived desecration of traditional rulers’ authority, the controversial removal of the Obi of Onitsha, HRH Alfred Nnaemeka Achebe, as Chairman of the Anambra State Traditional Rulers Council (ASTRC), Soludo’s repeated refusal to attend the sacred Ofala Festival, and the arbitrary suspension of monarchs without due process. These issues, the group argues, represent a deliberate erosion of the cultural fabric that underpins Anambra’s identity, warranting a unified electoral rebuke.
*”While other states in Nigeria are elevating their traditional institutions to foster unity and development, Governor Soludo has chosen the path of diminishment and humiliation,” the letter reads. “The desecration of our royal fathers is not just an attack on them; it is an assault on every Anambra son and daughter who holds our heritage sacred. On November 8, let the ballot box be the tool of restoration – reject Soludo and his APGA machinery.”*
The rift between Soludo and Anambra’s traditional leadership traces back to early 2024, when the governor’s administration suspended Igwe Damian O. Ezeani, the traditional ruler of Neni, for conferring a chieftaincy title on the late Senator Ifeanyi Ubah, a move seen by critics as politically motivated to neutralize a potential rival ahead of the 2025 polls.
Two other monarchs, from Ojoto and Aguluezechukwu, were also sanctioned and forced to issue public apologies, prompting widespread outrage. Obi Achebe, in his capacity as ASTRC Chairman, fired back with a scathing open letter on January 12, 2024, lambasting the government’s “public bullying” and “dehumanization” of the institution, arguing that such tactics via social media notifications were undignified and unprecedented.
Although Soludo briefly reversed the suspensions in late January 2024, the damage lingered. Earlier this week during the 2025 Ofala Festival, the annual celebration of the Obi of Onitsha’s reign, which draws thousands for its blend of pomp, renewal rites, and cultural reaffirmation.
*Soludo’s conspicuous absence marked a stark departure from tradition; he had attended as a guest of honor in 2023, even pledging partnership to elevate the event. Instead, Achebe used his royal address to decry the “illegal dissolution” of the ASTRC and accuse the administration of fostering a climate where traditional rulers are treated as “subservient appendages” rather than custodians of community values.*
Adding fuel to the fire, the Patriots highlighted reports of Obi Achebe’s ouster as ASTRC , a position he has held since 2004, allegedly orchestrated by Soludo to consolidate control over chieftaincy matters. *Sources close to the palace claim the move, executed through administrative fiat under the Anambra State Traditional Rulers Law, bypassed consultations and ignored Achebe’s rotational tenure, further alienating Onitsha, Anambra’s commercial nerve center. “Removing the Obi of Onitsha, the most revered monarch in Igboland, is not governance; it is cultural sabotage,” the group’s letter asserts.”*
*With less than three weeks until the polls, the Anambra Patriots’ called on Ndi Anambra to vote the All Progressive Congress as Prince Ukachukwu and Senator Ekwunife will restore the dignity of Anambra Traditional Institution
The Patriots urge a “peaceful but firm rejection” of Soludo, “Our ancestors did not build this light for it to be dimmed by one man’s hubris,” the letter concludes. “Let November 8 be the dawn of respect restored.”*
