By Femi Anamelechi
The attention of Anambra State Government has been drawn to a malicious and deliberately fabricated online publication and social media comments making spurious claims that the Governor of Anambra State, Professor Chukwuma Charles Soludo, CFR, consulted a native doctor regarding his reelection prospects. The State Government hereby debunks the allegations as totally false. For the interest of the general public, the video clip being maliciously circulated and misrepresented, as evidence of native doctor consultation, was taken during a recent official government meeting with Anambra-based content creators.
The session, facilitated by the Special Senior Assistant to the Governor on New Media, Mazi Ejimofor Opara, was organised to strengthen the partnership between the State Government and the creative industry as part of Governor Soludo’s commitment to encouraging and supporting Anambra’s creative economy. According to Press Secretary to the governor, Christian Aburime the video clip was recorded during an interactive session with content creators who were encouraged to showcase their talents, ask questions and share their concerns about the creative industry in the state. As part of the presentations, one of the content creators performed a native doctor skit, a common comic genre in Nigerian entertainment, to demonstrate their creative abilities to the Governor and other officials present.
This was purely an entertainment performance by a content creator, not a consultation session. Mr. Aburime in a Pres release signed by him, pointed out that “The State Government thus found it deeply disappointing that critics and political opponents would stoop so low as to deliberately fabricate malicious narratives from an innocent entertainment performance and spread misinformation to mislead the public.” He further said that rather than engage in frivolous consultations, Governor Soludo has consistently demonstrated his commitment to developing Anambra’s creative economy through investment plans as part of the state’s economic diversification strategy. The recently commissioned SOLUTION FUN CITY project is part of such investment plans.
The State Government also clarified that Governor Soludo does not need consultations with any native doctor to win reelection, as he relies solely on the support of Ndi Anambra based on his impressive performance and focus on delivering the SOLUTION AGENDA by transforming Anambra State into a livable and prosperous homeland. Therefore, the Anambra State Government calls on Ndi Anambra, media channels and social media users to disregard the misinformation concerning the circulated video clip. The public is also urged to always verify information before sharing or amplifying content and reject malicious stories sponsored to mislead the public. As always, Governor Soludo remains committed to the development of Anambra State and will not be deterred by the antics of desperate political opponents who have chosen the path of falsehood over constructive engagement.
