Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Charles Soludo, has refuted widespread social media claims alleging the death of former governor of the state, Chief Willie Obiano.
In a statement released on Friday by his Press Secretary, Christian Aburime, Soludo condemned the rumour, describing it as “malicious, wicked, and completely irresponsible.”
He confirmed that he had personally spoken with Obiano and found him to be alive and in good health.
“I view with grave concern the reckless circulation of such malicious rumours,” Soludo said. “I strongly urge media practitioners, especially online publishers, to uphold the ethics of journalism by verifying information through official channels before rushing to publish.”
The governor stressed that spreading unverified reports, particularly about someone’s death, undermines public trust and causes unnecessary panic.
“The spread of unverified death rumours erodes public trust. I urge the public to disregard the trending report. Chief Obiano is hale, hearty and in good spirit,” he added.
Similarly, former Anambra State Commissioner for Information under Obiano, C-Don Adinuba, also dismissed the rumour. He clarified that the former governor currently resides in Houston, United States, and has not been hospitalised.
“Contrary to the reports, Obiano is not in London and has not been hospitalised. He is strong, hale, and hearty in the US. Ignore the rumour—it is not from a credible source,” Adinuba said.
Chief Willie Obiano served as governor of Anambra State from 2014 to 2022 before handing over to Soludo in March 2022.
