A claim circulating across social media alleges that former Anambra State governor Willie Obiano endorsed Nicholas Ukachukwu, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for the 2025 Anambra governorship election, during a gathering of the Anambra community in Texas, United States.

The same post further asserts that Obiano condemned the current administration of Governor Charles Soludo, whom he handed over to in 2022.

The message, which has appeared multiple times on Facebook, reads in part:

“OBIANO URGES NDI ANAMBRA IN TEXAS TO GO FOR THE ULTIMATE, SAYS UKACHUKWU WILL DO EXCELLENTLY WELL AS GOVERNOR OF ANAMBRA STATE!” It further quotes Obiano as allegedly telling a crowd of over 7,000 Anambra people in Texas that, “We have only two choices in this election, Go for Ukachukwu for progress that we are making steadily or remain in Egypt with Chukwuma Soludo.”

The viral text, attributed to an obscure platform named “IKEMBA FRONT MEDIA,” goes on to claim that Obiano said Ukachukwu was more qualified and better connected than Soludo, and that he urged the diaspora to back the APC flagbearer and Senator Uche Ekwunife as “the ultimate best for the people of the state.”

However, Grassroots Check subjected the claim to rigorous scrutiny and found no credible evidence to support it.

Grassroots Check’s search for verifiable information on the alleged Texas event produced no credible records, images, or coverage of any public appearance by Obiano in the United States. There is no video footage, no media reportage, nor any eyewitness testimony from the Anambra diaspora confirming such a gathering or endorsement.

A check on the official social media pages of diaspora groups such as the Anambra State Association USA (ASA-USA) and Anambra Progressives in Texas yielded no references to the former governor’s presence at any event in the state in 2025.

Furthermore, a reverse text search of the quotes attributed to Obiano especially the analogy about “Egypt” and “solutions” showed no match on any credible media platform prior to the viral post’s publication. This strongly suggests the speech was manufactured.

More importantly, the claim has been publicly debunked by a person in a position to speak for the former governor. Paul Nwosu, who served as Anambra State Commissioner for Information during Obiano’s administration, stated in a May 2025 report by The Punch that the post was “fake news.”

He was quoted as saying: “Chief Obiano neither addressed any gathering of Ndi Anambra in Texas nor granted any interview or issued any statement, publicly or privately, concerning the forthcoming election or any aspirant.”

In a separate statement also published by Vanguard, Nwosu emphasised that Obiano remained committed to the peace and democratic process in Anambra, and that if he ever wished to make a political declaration, he would “express his views clearly and personally, rather than through faceless third parties or shadowy platforms.”

Grassroots Check notes that there is no official statement from Obiano himself posted on any of his known communication channels. There has also been no corroboration of the endorsement claim by Nicholas Ukachukwu, the man supposedly endorsed. Neither his verified pages nor those of the APC campaign team in Anambra have circulated the quote, video, or photos of the former governor supporting him.

Nicholas Ukachukwu is a well-known businessman and philanthropist who has contested for political office multiple times, including as a former member of the House of Representatives. He was declared winner of the APC governorship primary held in Anambra State in March 2025, ahead of the November 8 gubernatorial election. His emergence followed his formal defection to the ruling party earlier in the year.

Charles Chukwuma Soludo, the incumbent governor, assumed office in March 2022 after winning the November 2021 governorship election under the platform of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA). He was widely considered Obiano’s preferred successor at the time.

Willie Obiano, who governed Anambra from 2014 to 2022 under the APGA platform, has maintained a relatively quiet public life since leaving office. As of the time of this report, no credible media organisation has reported any public falling out between him and Governor Soludo. On the contrary, shortly after handing over power, Obiano was quoted affirming his support for Soludo’s administration, saying he would “never undermine” his successor’s efforts.

Grassroots Check finds the timing of the viral post significant. Campaigning for the 2025 Anambra governorship election officially begins in mid-June, according to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), yet multiple unverified claims of endorsements have already begun appearing across social media.

Verification: False.

Conclusion

Grassroots Check finds no evidence that Willie Obiano endorsed Nicholas Ukachukwu, nor that he made the remarks attributed to him during any event in Texas.