Publisher Apologises To Soludo, Admits Fabricating Stories On Gov’s Family

The owner and publisher of _Igbo Times Magazine_ and _iNews_, Ejike Ofoegbu Experience, has issued a public apology and full retraction to the Executive Governor of Anambra State, Professor Chukwuma Charles Soludo, admitting that he fabricated a series of false stories about the Governor and his family.

In a signed retraction, Ofoegbu confessed that the viral articles alleging a bitter feud between Governor Soludo and his son, Ozo Soludo, were “completely fake, false, fabricated, and untrue" and were published solely to chase online traffic and advertising revenue.

According to the retraction, the stories circulated widely on regional blogs and social media platforms and included entirely invented quotes attributed to both the Governor and his son.

The publisher listed some of the false claims to include:

- “The Disowning Hoax” – A claim that Governor Soludo had disowned his son Ozo and banned anyone from referring to him as his child.

- “The Temu Mockery” – An invented press interaction where Soludo was quoted as calling his son a “Chinese-made” product ordered from e-commerce platform Temu. 

- “The Character Slur” – A fabricated quote attributed to the son accusing the Governor of being a historical “drunkard” who abused his mother.

- “The Drinking Bet” – A false report claiming the son challenged the public to a drinking competition between Governor Soludo and FCT Minister Nyesom Wike.

- “The Political Spin” – Unverified reports suggesting that opposition leader Peter Obi would easily defeat Soludo in an upcoming gubernatorial election. Ofoegbu admitted these were manufactured to exploit political tensions for clicks.

“I publicly admit that the stories I published concerning Governor Soludo and his son were completely fake... They were not based on any verified facts or credible source, and they should never have been presented as news,” Ofoegbu stated.

The publisher said the decision to publish the stories was driven by a desire to milk online traffic, spike audience numbers, and generate ad revenue by destroying the character of public figures.

“I sincerely admit that I published such stories in pursuit of online traffic, audience engagement, and financial gain. I now realize that no amount of money or online attention can justify spreading false information or damaging another person’s reputation. To Professor Chukwuma Charles Soludo, I respectfully and humbly ask for your forgiveness.”

He also extended an unconditional plea for mercy to the Anambra First Family and the general public, saying he wanted to avoid legal retribution, defamation lawsuits, or prosecution under the Cybercrimes Act.

Legal analysts described the retraction as a major vindication for the Governor’s public standing. They also noted that the case underscores growing concerns about misinformation in Nigeria’s digital media space.

“This incident highlights the dangerous underbelly of the Nigerian digital media ecosystem, where some blog owners routinely sacrifice basic journalistic ethics to cash out on sensationalized fake news,” one analyst said.

As of press time, the Anambra State Government had not issued an official response to the apology and retraction.