Governor Charles Soludo of Anambra State, Thursday, visited Willie Obiano, a former governor of the state who is facing trial over alleged money laundering.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is prosecuting Mr Obiano for allegedly laundering over N4 billion from the state’s security vote account.
The former governor was arraigned before the Federal High Court in Abuja, on Wednesday.
He faces nine counts of money laundering, including bypassing financial institutions in several unlawful cash transactions involving money allegedly stolen from the state’s account.
The EFCC said the amount of cash involved in the transactions was beyond legally permitted cash limits. The charges also include spending funds allegedly stolen from the state’s security vote account for other purposes.
The trial judge, Inyang Ekwo, during the arraignment, granted the former governor bail but ordered him not to leave the country unless with the express permission of the court throughout his trial.
The judge fixed 4 March for the commencement of trial.
‘It will pass’
Mr Soludo, who took over as governor from Mr Obiano in March 2022, expressed hope that the former governor’s predicament would pass away.
“Today, accompanied by the APGA National Chairman, Ezeokenwa Sly Jr., I paid a solidarity visit to my respected predecessor, Chief Willie Obiano, in Abuja,” the governor wrote on his X handle on Thursday night.
He said he had a two-hour “chat” with the former governor over his trial.
“By His (God) Grace, this too shall pass,” Mr Soludo said of Mr Obiano’s court trial.
Unlike other posts, the governor did not upload any photographs of the visit to his predecessor on the micro-blogging platform.
Mr Obiano served as the governor of the South-east state from March 2014 to March 2022 under the platform of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).
Before exiting office, the former governor helped to install Mr Soludo as governor of the state after he (Soludo) had defected from the Peoples Democratic Party to the APGA.
Hours after Mr Obiano handed over as Anambra governor on 17 March 2022, the EFCC arrested him at the Murtala Muhammad International Airport, Lagos, as he was preparing to board a flight to Houston, in the United States.
He was released on bail after spending days in the EFCC custody.
