Category: PM News

The National Credit Guarantee Company (NCGC) has helped unlock ?46.95bn in loans for Nigerians and businesses within one year of commencing operations, President Bola Tinubu has said.

Tinubu disclosed this while highlighting the impact of the company’s credit guarantee programme, which he said was created to address one of the major barriers preventing businesses from accessing finance.

According to the President, many viable businesses often struggle to obtain loans because lenders consider them too risky due to limited collateral or lack of credit history.

He said NCGC was established to reduce that challenge by taking on part of the lending risk faced by financial institutions.

‘Many viable businesses still meet the same obstacle at the bank. Lenders see too much risk in a sound business when the owner has little collateral or no credit history,’ Tinubu said.

‘We established NCGC to help change that. It carries part of the lending risk with participating financial institutions, giving them greater confidence to lend to businesses and borrowers they might otherwise turn away.’

The President said the company currently works with 19 financial institutions, including 13 commercial banks, three microfinance banks and three development finance institutions.

He stated that NCGC had issued ?21.59bn in guarantees, allowing participating lenders to extend ?46.95bn in loans.

Tinubu said the figures showed that every ?1 provided in guarantees had helped unlock about ?2.17 in credit.

He added that 67,512 borrowers across 25 states and the Federal Capital Territory had received credit backed by the scheme.

The beneficiaries include 11,374 women, while 33.5 per cent are first-time formal borrowers entering Nigeria’s credit system for the first time.

According to Tinubu, more than 22,000 Nigerians have now gained access to formal credit records, which could improve their chances of securing future loans through successful repayment.

He explained that access to credit was important because of what individuals and businesses could achieve with it.

‘A trader can restock before the festive season. When a manufacturer takes a bigger order and buys another machine to fill it, another Nigerian gets a job,’ he said.

The President said businesses supported through the NCGC programme were estimated to account for 661,291 direct and indirect jobs.

Tinubu said the initiative was part of efforts by his administration to move Nigeria towards a credit-based economy, where individuals and businesses can access financing to expand their activities.

He added that the government would continue to widen access to credit opportunities across the country.

Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, Oliver Alawuba, has called for greater focus on turning Africa’s vast opportunities into investable projects.

Alawuba spoke in New York, at the Forward Africa Leaders Symposium, held during the ongoing United Nations General Assembly engagements (UNGA), where he participated in a fireside chat themed ‘From Mandate to Impact.’

Speaking on the need to translate Africa’s development ambitions into tangible outcomes, the UBA boss said Africa’s opportunities deserve rigorous preparation and serious capital, noting that projects must be commercially sustainable and supported by institutions capable of delivering on their commitments.

He also emphasised the need for dependable revenues, credible institutions and accountable delivery to unlock sustainable capital for the continent.

Drawing from UBA’s experience across the continent, Alawuba highlighted the bank’s role in connecting African enterprise with capital, expertise and financial infrastructure, citing projects across telecommunications, energy, roads, digital services and other critical sectors.

In Chad, for instance, he explained that UBA financed a US$6.56 million telecommunications modernisation project initiated in 2021, with completion recorded in 2025 and the loan fully repaid. For Alawuba, the project demonstrates how a clearly defined development need can move from financing to completion and repayment when the right structure and accountability are in place.

According to Alawuba, UBA has consistently remained instrumental in propelling Africa’s growth aa is further evidenced in a US$45 million loan facility to Oak Asset SPV for road construction in Kenya, where the bank’s relationships extend beyond project financing to government collections and contractor facilities, creating banking support around the broader delivery chain.

Beyond physical infrastructure, he highlighted the role of digital finance in expanding opportunities across African markets, pointing to Leo, UBA’s digital banking platform, which now serves more than six million users across 20 African countries and processes over 16 million transactions annually.

Highlighting Leo’s support for English, French, Portuguese and Swahili, he noted that UBA continues to take the lead with innovation demonstrating, how digital services can help bridge language and market barriers, while its payment capabilities support everyday banking and cross-border commerce.

He also pointed to UBA’s financing activities across markets including Burkina Faso, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Tanzania and Liberia as examples of the different ways commercial banking can support African development, ranging from direct lending and syndicated financing to guarantees, contractor facilities and banking services supporting project operations.

Alawuba noted that, these experiences reinforce the importance of African financial institutions being close enough to understand local markets while maintaining the international connections required to mobilise capital and support cross-border investment, saying, ‘At UBA, Africa’s Global Bank, we bring the conviction that African enterprise belongs at the centre of Africa’s transformation, supported by strong institutions and productive global partnerships.’

While concluding, he urged stakeholders to focus the next phase of Africa’s development efforts on preparing and de-risking a selected pipeline of viable projects, while ensuring that execution capability is built into each investment and, also called for priority to be given to completing viable investments already under way while preparing the next generation of bankable projects in areas such as dependable power, digital connectivity and logistics.

United Bank for Africa is one of Africa’s largest financial institutions, serving over 45 million customers globally. Operating in 20 African countries, as well as the United Kingdom, the United States, France and the United Arab Emirates, UBA provides retail, commercial and institutional banking services while championing financial inclusion, innovation and sustainable development across its markets.

Tango Brook Technologies Limited, Nigeria’s fast-emerging energy technology and intelligence company, today celebrated the first anniversary of its intelligent fuel management solution, Tango Fuel App, announcing its evolution from a homegrown solution into a pan-African energy-spend management platform now trusted across Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and Zimbabwe.

Tango Fuel App is an intelligent fuel and fleet management system designed to provide secure, traceable and controlled transactions, launched in September 2025. It is a collaboration that integrates payment cards with Tango Brook’s innovative fuel tracking solution, giving businesses accountability over their energy spend.

Within 12 months of its first product rollout, Tango Brook has won esteemed clients: over 150 leading corporates, including Flour Mills of Nigeria (FMN), Seven-Up Bottling Company, LAGRIDE, United Bank for Africa (UBA), CardinalStone, and ICS Outsourcing, validating its core thesis that businesses across emerging economies urgently need visibility, control and accountability over energy expenditure.

Between January and August 2026, the company recorded explosive growth: wallet funding grew 12.4x, revenue grew 46.7x, app transactions grew 3.4x, and active transacting cards grew 3.4x. Tango Brook also achieved ISO 27001:2022 certification, demonstrating its commitment to global standards in information security, customer trust, and enterprise-grade governance, a critical foundation for scaling across Africa.

‘Every great journey begins with a problem worth solving,’ said Peter Atuma, Chairman of Tango Brook Technologies Limited, reflecting on the company’s journey. ‘Across emerging economies, organisations spend billions on petrol and diesel to power vehicles, generators and operations, yet rely on manual processes that create fraud, leakages and zero visibility. Tango Fuel App was founded to change this. From an idea to a solution, from a solution to more than 150 corporate customers, from Nigeria to Africa and beyond – the Tango journey has begun.’

In response to customer pain points, Tango Brook rapidly expanded in 2026 with two critical modules: Tango Fleet Management – a telematics and fleet intelligence solution for vehicle tracking, route optimisation, and operational visibility, and Tango GenVault – a generator monitoring solution that tracks generator runtime, diesel consumption, refuelling events, and unusual consumption patterns

Together, these three products create a connected ecosystem integrating digital payments, fleet management, generator monitoring, data analytics, and intelligent reporting – giving finance and operations teams real-time control over every litre of fuel and every naira spent on energy. This marks Tango Brook’s evolution from a fuel and fleet management business into a full-fledged Energy Technology and Intelligence Company.

Managing Director Africa, Obiajulu Wemambu, affirmed the company’s vision and commitment to building Africa’s business resilience and intelligent energy infrastructure: ‘One of the most significant milestones in our journey has been the development of the infrastructure, partnerships, and governance required to scale beyond our original market. Our ISO 27001:2022 certification further demonstrates our commitment to information security, customer trust, and international standards as we build for scale.’

‘Today, our ambition extends beyond Nigeria. We are actively positioning Tango Brook for a truly pan-African future, with expansion into Sierra Leone, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Zimbabwe, Ghana, and a few other prospective African Markets. These markets represent important strategic opportunities to replicate our technology-driven approach while adapting our solutions to the unique energy, mobility and commercial realities of each country.’

He said the company’s expansion strategy is not an ambition; it is a vision for scaling Africa’s competitiveness. ‘As we look ahead, our vision remains clear: to build an African technology company with the capacity, credibility and innovation to compete globally. We are moving from being a company with a promising solution to becoming an infrastructure partner for Africa’s energy and operational transformation,’ Wemambu added.

Chief Executive Officer of Tango Brook Technologies Nigeria, David Ita, who assumed leadership in January 2026, remarked that the first year’s milestone was proof of possibilities. ‘We had to rebuild our technology architecture, strengthen critical partnerships, and navigate resource constraints. The market has validated that work,’ he said.

‘Our ambition is increasingly clear: to use technology and data to give individuals and organisations greater visibility, control and intelligence over their energy consumption and operational assets. That ambition now extends beyond Nigeria. We have established entities in five African markets as we build towards an African – and ultimately global-future.’

As Tango Fuel App enters its second year, its focus is clear: to become the leading energy-spend management technology platform across emerging economies. The company will focus on three pillars: deepening data intelligence and predictive analytics for clients to eliminate leakages and improve operational efficiency; expanding local teams and partnerships in its new markets; and launching new features for SMEs and individuals seeking control over energy costs.

The company expressed gratitude to its team, customers, technology partners, shareholders, and Board for their trust and resilience. It remarked that year one was about proving the possibilities, and the years ahead will be about scaling them.

The Minister of Defence, retired Gen. Christopher Musa, has stressed the need for stronger international partnerships to tackle terrorism, banditry, oil theft, cybercrime, and other emerging security threats in Nigeria

Musa ?????who made the call on the sideline of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, said such strategy would involve government, communities, international partners and the private sector.

According to him, Nigeria’s security challenges have become too interconnected for any single institution or country to tackle alone.

‘Nigeria’s security challenges are national in their impact, regional in their consequences, and increasingly international in their implications.’

He explained that while military and other security operations remained essential to protecting Nigeria citizens and territorial integrity, lasting peace and stability could not be achieved through military action alone.

According to him, Nigeria is, therefore, seeking practical partnership with the United Nations, African Union, ECOWAS, bilateral partners, civil society, researchers, and the private sector to strengthen its security capabilities and institutions.

He stressed that government was pursuing measures, including recruitment of additional 22,000 personnel, restructuring of the Army divisions, stronger subnational security arrangements, and proposals for state police and forest guards.

In a separate interview, retired Maj.-Gen. Adeyinka Famadewa, Special Adviser to the President on Homeland Security, told the News Agency of Nigeria( NAN), that Nigeria was moving from a capability-driven to a threat-driven security strategy.

According to him, such assessment would identify the country’s major threats, determine existing capability gaps, and prioritise resources for addressing them.

‘The national security strategy document, I know, is a draft review, but this is what we’re trying to do, like I said during the engagement, meant that we are moving from capability-driven to threat-driven.

‘Defense is a very expensive venture. So, you need to prioritize,’ Famadewa said.

He explained that the process would involve developing a five-year framework for acquiring critical capabilities while strengthening Nigeria’s domestic defence-production capacity.

‘Also, that government would review previous assumptions about security and develop new approaches to ensure the safety of Nigerians.

‘We are bringing out new methods of achieving the objective of ensuring that every Nigerian is safe and Nigeria prospers,’ he added.

He reiterated that government could not guarantee national security alone, while urging citizens to remain vigilant and support security agencies with useful information.

The Edo and Kogi states boundary disputes have remained unresolved due to vanished landmarks, competing claims and community resistance.

Adamu Adaji, Director-General, National Boundary Commission (NBC), disclosed this in an exclusive interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Sunday.

He said technical and administrative efforts had produced an approved boundary line, but implementation faced resistance from communities along the corridor.

Meanwhile, Adaji said the commission recorded progress on the Abia-Anambra boundary, with 15 kilometres of the 23-kilometre stretch already agreed upon.

According to Adaji, the Edo-Kogi boundary was defined under Legal Notice No. 126 of 1954, which established the boundary between the Northern and Western Regions.

He said some physical features referenced in the document had disappeared over time, making it difficult for experts to accurately trace the boundary.

Adaji said technical experts had attempted to interpret the historical documents, but the disappearance of landmarks introduced subjective judgment into determining the boundary.

‘This has led the parties to continue laying claims in different areas,’ Adaji said, recalling efforts dating back to 2006 to establish the boundary.

He said the commission considered the claims of both states and eventually produced a line regarded as the boundary between Edo and Kogi.

Adaji said the proposed boundary was subsequently approved by the Internal Boundary Committee, paving the way for its physical demarcation.

However, the NBC boss said the exercise encountered resistance when the contractor moved to establish the approved boundary on the ground.

He said communities along the corridor objected, arguing that the proposed line did not correspond with their understanding of the boundary.

‘The affected communities consequently resisted the demarcation, prompting the commission to engage stakeholders and seek broader agreement,’ he said.

Adaji said the parties met again earlier in the year to determine how the approved boundary could be physically established and assess its implications.

He said the agreement was challenged after some parties withheld full cooperation and presented documents indicating possible changes to the boundary.

‘Some documents included court judgments that have not previously been brought to the commission’s attention.

‘We have to examine these issues and engage the states so that we can arrive at a common understanding,’ he said.

Adaji said the Edo-Kogi boundary process remained ongoing, adding that the commission had agreed to commence demarcation when resources became available.

When a building collapses, fire destroys property or an accident leaves people counting their losses, news reports often focus on what happened and those affected.

But experts say another important question is frequently left unanswered: who will bear the financial cost of the loss?

Insurance professionals and media experts have challenged Nigerian journalists to make that question a regular part of their reporting, arguing that coverage of disasters and major incidents should also examine insurance protection, claims, compliance and the wider economic consequences.

The call was made in Lagos during a two day media seminar organised by Insurance Publication Limited and sponsored by the Africa Re Foundation and Africa Reinsurance Corporation.

The programme, themed ‘The Universe of Insurance and Journalism: Risk Everywhere, in Everything,’ brought together journalists, academics, insurance professionals and healthcare experts to examine how the media can help Nigerians better understand risk and insurance.

Speaking on ‘Bridging the Information Gaps and Financial Adversities,’ Professor Adepoju Tejumaiye of the Department of Mass Communication, University of Lagos, urged journalists to become ‘risk interpreters’ who explain to the public how insurance can protect individuals, businesses and government from the financial consequences of unexpected events.

Tejumaiye identified low public awareness, mistrust of insurers, complicated insurance language, poor claims experiences and weak enforcement of compulsory insurance requirements among the factors contributing to low insurance uptake.

He urged reporters covering building collapses, fires, accidents, business failures and other disasters to investigate beyond the immediate incident by asking whether the affected properties or businesses were insured, what type of cover existed, whether claims could be made and who would ultimately bear the cost of the loss.

According to him, such reporting would help Nigerians understand the practical value of insurance while also exposing weaknesses in compliance and risk management.

The concerns were echoed by Dr Femi Oyetunji, Chairman of the Board of Directors of SanlamAllianz Life Insurance Nigeria Ltd, who described the country’s insurance gap as a national resilience issue.

Oyetunji said the Nigerian Insurance Industry Reform Act 2025 provided an opportunity to strengthen the sector through improved regulation, compulsory insurance, stronger policyholder protection and digitisation.

He, however, stressed that reforms would only achieve their intended impact if insurers provided accessible products, valid claims were settled promptly and regulatory requirements were effectively enforced.

He said Nigeria needed deeper insurance protection because development without adequate protection remained vulnerable to shocks.

The seminar also examined the growing role of technology in expanding insurance access.

Jackson Ikiebe, a Certified Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer, said artificial intelligence and blockchain could help insurers reach more Nigerians through digital distribution, automated claims processing, digital onboarding and pay as you go insurance products.

He cautioned, however, that technology alone could not solve the sector’s problems, pointing to low public awareness, digital trust concerns, regulatory standards and difficulties integrating emerging technologies with existing insurance systems.

Raymond Akalonu, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Umbrella Insurance Brokers Ltd, called for a shift from what he described as a ‘relief culture’ to an insurance culture.

He argued that government bailouts following disasters often provide temporary relief while transferring the financial burden to public funds.

Akalonu urged journalists to investigate the insurance dimension of major incidents and report whether affected public and private assets were insured, how claims were handled and who ultimately paid for uninsured losses.

He said stronger media reporting could help Nigerians understand insurance as a mechanism for sustainable recovery rather than relying primarily on government intervention after disasters.

The speakers also stressed the importance of stronger enforcement of compulsory insurance requirements.

Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Dr Omogbai Omo Eboh, said government should lead by example by ensuring that its assets, infrastructure and employees were adequately insured.

He suggested that compliance with compulsory insurance requirements could be linked to licences, permits, registration and public procurement processes. He also advocated the use of technology to simplify verification of insurance policies and reduce fraud.

Beyond insurance reporting, the seminar highlighted the need for journalists to strengthen their coverage of healthcare policies and their impact on Nigerians.

Dr Augustine Aipoh, Medical Director of Olive Medicare Hospital, Lagos, urged journalists to move beyond event based healthcare reporting and examine whether government policies were achieving their intended objectives.

Aipoh said reporters should explain healthcare policies to the public, monitor implementation and investigate their impact on patients, while also verifying medical claims before publication.

Project Convener of Insurance Publication Limited, Ifeanyi Ugwuadu, and the Lead Editor of an insurance publication, Ifeanyi Uzoma, similarly urged journalists across different beats to incorporate insurance and risk into their regular reporting.

Ugwuadu said insurance should not be treated as a subject reserved for specialist correspondents because risk cuts across virtually every area of society, from transportation and construction to healthcare, agriculture, banking, manufacturing and small businesses.

He said accidents, fires, building collapses and business failures should prompt journalists to ask not only what happened but also whether adequate risk protection existed and what lessons could prevent similar financial losses in the future.

The speakers maintained that with the implementation of the NIIRA 2025 reforms, growing digital technologies and more informed media coverage, Nigeria has an opportunity to deepen insurance penetration.

They therefore called for stronger collaboration between journalists, regulators, insurers and other stakeholders to build public trust, improve understanding of insurance and encourage a culture in which Nigerians see risk protection as part of everyday economic planning rather than something considered only after disaster strikes.

The Lagos State Police Command has arrested six suspected members of a syndicate accused of diverting imported goods worth more than ?20bn over a period of 19 years.

The suspects were arrested by operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit following complaints from importers over missing consignments.

Those arrested were identified as Lateef Jamiu, Abubakar Amadu, Aliu Olanshile, Opeyemi Oyewale, Hassana Malami and Hassana Haruna.

A police source said Jamiu and Amadu were allegedly leaders of one of the most organised goods diversion syndicates operating in the country.

According to the source, the group allegedly targeted importers at Lagos ports by offering transportation services for the movement of goods to different parts of the country.

The suspects allegedly collected consignments after securing transportation contracts, before diverting the goods and cutting off communication with the owners.

‘They hang around the ports in Lagos and search for people in need of transportation for their imported goods to be moved to the North, East and other parts of Nigeria,’ the source said.

The source alleged that members of the syndicate also joined transport-related WhatsApp groups where importers advertised their need for trucks.

‘Once they get the offer, they disappear with the goods and erase every trace that could lead to their whereabouts by changing their phones and SIM cards,’ the source added.

The police source said the suspects had allegedly been involved in similar operations in the past and had been arrested and prosecuted before their release.

He alleged that Jamiu and Amadu were released from prison earlier in 2026 before they allegedly returned to the same activities.

In their latest operation, the suspects allegedly diverted goods including forklifts, fabrics and imported plates valued at about ?3bn.

The source said the group allegedly collected goods meant to be transported from Lagos to Kano but diverted the consignment to Ojota, Lagos, where it was allegedly offloaded and sold.

One of the suspected leaders, Jamiu, reportedly admitted that the goods were diverted.

‘It is true that we agreed to help the importer move the goods from the port in Lagos to Kano. We negotiated and loaded the goods at the port, but instead of going to Kano, we diverted to a place in

Ojota, where we offloaded them and sold them to our receivers,’ he was quoted as saying.

Amadu also reportedly admitted to working with Jamiu for about 19 years after they met while working as truck drivers.

The police said investigations led officers to trace some of the alleged diverted fabrics to a market in Agege, Lagos, where the importer identified them.

The operation also led to the arrest of alleged receivers of the goods and some truck drivers linked to the diversion.

Confirming the arrests, Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Adebisi, described the operation as a major breakthrough by the Anti-Kidnapping Unit.

She said investigations were ongoing to arrest other members of the syndicate and recover more allegedly diverted goods.

Presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga has dismissed concerns over President Bola Tinubu’s whereabouts, saying the President is ‘hale and hearty’ and currently on a working vacation.

Onanuga, in a post on social media, said Tinubu was entitled to take his annual holiday and could continue carrying out official duties despite being away from Abuja.

‘President Tinubu is hale and hearty. He has been on a working vacation, which he is perfectly entitled to,’ Onanuga wrote.

He said the President had remained engaged in official activities while abroad, including meetings with investors in France.

According to him, Tinubu had most recently facilitated a $7 billion deep-sea port project in Ogun Waterside, an initiative of the Ogun State Government.

Onanuga also pointed to the absence of some other African leaders from the ongoing United Nations General Assembly in New York.

‘Two other important African leaders were not in New York for the UNGA: South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa and Egypt’s Abdel Fattah el-Sisi,’ he said.

He added that Tinubu had announced his annual vacation and delegated Nigeria’s representation at the UNGA to Vice President Kashim Shettima.

Onanuga also criticised former Anambra State governor and Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, for questioning Tinubu’s whereabouts.

‘Yet Peter Obi pretends to be unaware of President Tinubu’s whereabouts and asks the puerile question his followers are asking on X,’ he wrote.

The presidential aide said Tinubu was expected to return to Nigeria during the week to participate in activities marking the country’s 66th Independence Anniversary.

He said the President would also honour the late businessman and democracy campaigner, MKO Abiola, by attending the premiere of a film about him in Lagos.

The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) has impounded 84 commercial and private vehicles during a weekend enforcement operation targeting one-way driving, illegal garages and other traffic violations across major traffic flashpoints in the state.

The exercise covered Idumota, Iddo, Ijora-Olopa, Costain and Onipanu, with the agency saying the operation was designed to restore order and improve compliance with Lagos traffic regulations.

Of particular concern to LASTMA was the practice of commercial buses reversing against traffic along the one-way stretch from Iddo to Idumota through Cater Bridge.

The agency described the practice as extremely dangerous, warning that motorists, commuters and pedestrians approaching the bridge may have little warning of vehicles unlawfully reversing into oncoming traffic, potentially resulting in serious collisions, injuries or fatalities.

The enforcement operation was, however, met with resistance in some locations, with LASTMA officers allegedly attacked and injured by miscreants and hoodlums opposed to the exercise.

According to the agency, some individuals involved in the attacks were apprehended after allegedly assaulting personnel and damaging LASTMA operational vehicles.

LASTMA General Manager, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, described the enforcement as a necessary intervention to address what he called a growing culture of disregard for traffic regulations along critical corridors.

Bakare-Oki reiterated the agency’s warnings against using under-bridge spaces, road setbacks and other unauthorised locations as illegal garages.

He said such activities obstruct traffic management and create risks for motorists, commuters and pedestrians.

The LASTMA general manager stressed that public roads, bridges and under-bridge spaces would not be allowed to become unauthorised locations for vehicle loading, parking, repairs or garage operations.

He urged commercial bus operators, motorists, transport unions and other road users to desist from one-way driving, dangerous reversing, illegal parking, indiscriminate loading and the use of unauthorised garages.

Bakare-Oki warned that further violations would attract enforcement action in line with existing Lagos State traffic laws.

LASTMA also appealed to members of the public to report dangerous driving, traffic obstructions, reckless motorists and other violations through its toll-free short code, 3367, to enable the agency to respond promptly and prevent avoidable incidents on Lagos roads.

The Anambra State First Lady’s media aide, Daniel Ezeigwe, has clarified the relationship between the families of Governor Chukwuma Soludo and former governor Peter Obi, saying Obi is not a godparent to any of Soludo’s children.

Ezeigwe said the clarification became necessary following the circulation of a video in which Obi said he and his wife were godparents to Soludo’s children.

In a statement issued on Saturday, the aide said the actual relationship between the two families was different.

According to him, Nonye Soludo is the confirmation godmother to Obi’s daughter, while Margaret Obi is the baptismal godmother to one of Soludo’s daughters.

‘Mr Peter Obi is not a godfather to any of the children of Professor Chukwuma and Dr Nonye Soludo,’ the statement read.

The statement added that neither Obi nor Soludo had served as godparent to each other’s children.

Ezeigwe said the relationship between both families remained cordial but suggested Obi may have misspoken while speaking about their closeness.

‘It is possible that Mr Peter Obi simply misspoke in the course of making his remarks. However, given the widespread circulation of the video and the enquiries it has generated, it is important that the record be set straight,’ he stated.

The clarification followed remarks made by Obi at the 22nd Conference of the Nigerian Guild of Editors in Enugu on Friday, where he spoke about his relationship with Soludo despite their political differences.

Obi had said he and his wife were godparents to Soludo’s children, describing the governor as someone with whom he maintained a close personal relationship.

‘People might not know, my wife and I are godparents to Soludo’s children. Yes, we are that close. So we are not quarrelling, and we will never quarrel,’ Obi said.

Ezeigwe maintained that the relationship between both families remained cordial and there was no need to misrepresent it.