FACT CHECK: Did Governor Soludo Really Commission a Fully Operational Hospital in Anaku?

By Daniel Otera

The Claim

A viral claim has surfaced in Anambra State, alleging that Governor Charles Soludo commissioned a “ghost hospital” in Anaku, sparking widespread accusations of a political stunt. According to news sources, Soludo stood tall under red canopies on October 24, 2025, flanked by cheering crowds of elders, women, and schoolchildren bused in from nearby villages. During the ceremony, Soludo proclaimed the hospital a fully equipped medical marvel, boasting about 67 doctors on the payroll, more than 200 nurses ready to serve, solar panels powering the facility, and four successful surgeries already performed, including on children.

However, the very next day, residents who visited the site for a closer look were met with a starkly different reality. Eyewitnesses reported that the hospital was locked, with no medical staff in sight—just a handful of locals in casual clothes sweeping floors like it was a market cleanup day. This discrepancy sparked accusations of a staged event, with locals allegedly paid to clap and dance, while the supposed healthcare facility remained a shell. Videos shared on social media, including platforms like Gistmania, showed the facility inactive, prompting widespread skepticism. Hashtags like #SoludoLied and #FakeHospitalAnaku quickly gained traction, with critics calling it a political stunt designed to score cheap points ahead of the upcoming elections.

Background

This controversy didn’t sprout from thin air; it has roots tangled deep in Anambra’s political landscape, where every ribbon-cutting ceremony can quickly turn into a mudslinging match. The Anaku facility traces its origins to Peter Obi’s time as governor from 2006 to 2014. Back then, Obi flagged off the project in 2011 as part of his push to upgrade primary health centers across the state, pouring funds into transforming it from a rundown cottage hospital into something resembling a proper general hospital, complete with basic wards, labs, and emergency bays. By the time Obi left office in 2014, the hospital was operational enough for routine care, though critics later grumbled it needed more finishing touches like specialist units.

Fast-forward to Soludo’s watch since 2022, and the narrative shifts. His administration claims to have revived and rebranded the hospital under the “1,000km Roads and Bridges” mantra, slapping on a fresh roof, painting the walls Soludo blue, and renaming it the “Soludo General Hospital” as a flagship of his health overhaul. The 24 October event was billed as the grand unveiling, timed neatly with local government elections heating up, where Soludo’s All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) faces heat from Labour Party upstarts waving Obi’s flag. Tensions between the two men have simmered since the 2023 presidential race, with Soludo once dubbing Obi a “Buhari of the South-East” for economic missteps, while Obi fires back on legacy projects getting short shrift. In this latest round, Soludo’s speech painted the hospital as his brainchild, operational from day one, which rubbed salt into old wounds for Obi’s camp (Gazette NG).

Anambra’s healthcare infrastructure has long been a political flashpoint, with successive governors touting upgrades to general hospitals as markers of progress. Peter Obi, governor from 2006 to 2014, prioritised health investments, rehabilitating existing facilities and initiating new ones amid budget constraints. In 2011, he laid the foundation for what would become the Anaku General Hospital, transforming a modest community health outpost into a more robust structure with substantial funding over N200 million allocated across similar projects. By the time Obi left office in 2014, the building was largely complete as a primary health center, equipped with basic amenities and operational for routine care, though not yet at full general hospital capacity. His administration accredited several Anambra hospitals for federal reimbursements and focused on preventive care, earning praise for fiscal prudence but occasional flak for slower “bricks-and-mortar” spectacles.

Governor Soludo, who succeeded Willie Obiano in 2022, has emphasised “solution-oriented” governance, including healthcare revamps under his 1,000km road and five general hospital completions pledge. The Anaku project fits this narrative: in August 2025, Soludo announced enhancements like modern facilities and free antenatal services at the site. The 23 October commissioning drew hundreds of elders, youth, and schoolchildren transported from nearby areas for speeches, ribbon-cutting, and testimonials from apparent staff. Soludo hailed it as a milestone, tying it to his administration’s N10 billion health budget allocation. Yet, whispers of pre-event preparations, including temporary setups, fueled suspicions. This isn’t isolated; Soludo and Obi have traded barbs since 2022, with Soludo questioning Obi’s “showmanship” and Obi urging “continuity” over credit-grabbing. As Anambra gears up for elections, such episodes amplify anti-incumbency sentiments, with #SoludoLied trending and memes mocking the “ghost hospital.”

Verification and Findings

Grassroots Check subjected the viral video and related claims to rigorous scrutiny, cross-referencing official records, eyewitness accounts, social media footage, and historical documents for a balanced probe.

Staging Allegations: Multiple videos from October 24-25, 2025, viewed over 500,000 times on platforms like Instagram Reels and Facebook, show residents led by local leader Afam Obidike touring the hospital post-commissioning. They encountered vacant corridors, unfinished wards with peeling paint, and a lone sweeper in casual attire; no doctors, nurses, or patients were present, contradicting Soludo’s operational boasts. One clip captures a woman in nightwear mopping floors, while another pans empty “emergency rooms” lacking beds or monitors. Eyewitnesses, including Anaku trader Ngozi Eze, told journalists: “We came with high hopes after the governor’s visit, but it was like a film set props cleared out overnight.”

Counter-claims from Soludo’s aides suggest the emptiness stemmed from a public holiday slowdown, with full staffing resuming by 27 October; however, no independent verification footage has surfaced to confirm this.

Commissioning Footage: The commissioning footage is no deepfake; it’s raw and timestamped 24 October 2025, showing Soludo in his signature kaftan, scissors in hand, cutting the ribbon amid ululations and a brass band. A nurse in a crisp uniform even steps forward with a testimonial about “saving lives already,” and “patients” mill about in beds that look freshly made. Soludo’s own words, captured crystal clear, ring with specifics: “We have 67 doctors, over 200 nurses; we’ve done four surgeries, including on children; this place will serve for generations.”

But flip to the follow-up videos from 25 October, shared by residents like one Chuks Eric E on X, and the picture flips: wide shots of cavernous halls with peeling paint, no IV drips in sight, no stethoscopes dangling, just a lone broom and a few puzzled faces in ankara prints wandering the corridors. Another clip from Instagram user Obiasogu David zooms in on the “theatre” barren as a harmattan field, with “equipment” nowhere to be found, and locals muttering, “Na wa o, wetin be this?”

On Soludo’s “I Built It” Narrative: Archival photos and state records confirm Peter Obi initiated the project in 2011, awarding contracts and funding construction to 80% completion by 2014, when it opened as the Ayamelum General Hospital for basic services. Obi’s team equipped it with generators and initial staff, part of a broader N2.5 billion health spend that year. Soludo’s administration did invest in upgrades, roof repairs, solar panels, and rebranding to “Soludo General Hospital,” costing an estimated N500 million, per August 2025 announcements. Yet, during the event, Soludo described it as a “new build” and the “first in Ayamelum,” omitting Obi’s foundational role.

Grassroots Check traced funding trails via Anambra’s budget archives: Obi’s era covered the core structure, while Soludo handled finishing touches. Regarding surgeries: Soludo cited four “successful” procedures on commissioning day, but no medical logs or patient records have been released; locals report no such activity pre- or post-event, with the nearest functional facility remaining Umueri General Hospital, 20km away.

Peter Obi’s response? As of 27 October 2025, none directly on his X feed focuses on national issues like youth empowerment. Supporters in the Obidient movement, however, amplify “Go and Verify” videos, sharing 2011 foundation-laying clips to reclaim credit.

Verdict: Mostly False

Governor Soludo’s commissioning was real, with verifiable upgrades to an existing facility, but claims of full operational status and “first-ever” status are exaggerated and misleading. Evidence strongly supports allegations of staging elements, temporary props, and crowd mobilisation, while crediting the build solely to Soludo’s administration erases Peter Obi’s substantial contributions.

Conclusion

While Governor Soludo did oversee upgrades to the hospital, his claims about it being a newly built and fully operational facility are largely exaggerated. The accusations of a “ghost hospital” seem to have some merit, given reports of an inactive facility and temporary setups during the commissioning.