The Anambra State Government has denied that it renamed Abakaliki Street to Club Street, insisting that the claims on social media that it did so were “completely false”.

There have been claims on some online platforms and social media that the current administration of Prof. Chukwuma Soludo has renamed Abakaliki Street, a claim that has been attracting diverse reactions.

In a statement released on Tuesday, the state Commissioner for Information, Law Mefor, dismissed the claims while clarifying that the renaming of the street was done under the immediate past administration of former Governor Willie Obiano.

Mefor, however, said the perpetrators of the claims should have done research and fact-checking before going public with such “wild, malicious, and false claims”, adding that the “false” claims are aimed at discrediting Soludo.

The statement read in part, “Attention of the Anambra State Government has been drawn to the false and misleading claims made by one M.O. Idam Esq. against Governor Chukwuma Soludo, published by some online news platforms.

“Idam had alleged that Governor Soludo renamed Abakaliki Street to Club Street, which is completely false.

“The truth is that the renaming of Abakaliki Street to Club Street and the assigning of an adjacent street to Abakaliki Street occurred under the administration of former Governor Willie Obiano.

“It is expected that a lawyer ought to have done research and fact-checking before going public with such wild, malicious, and false claims.

“Considering that no one is perfect, and we exist in an imperfect world, we advise Idam Esq. to recant his statement as honourable people should when they go wrong.

“We reassure Ndị Anambra that Governor Soludo will continue to exercise the powers they bestowed on him through their popular mandate responsibly, which is yielding very heavy dividends of democracy without borrowing, leading to the clamour across the length and breadth of Anambra State for his reelection on November 8.

“We equally urge Idam Esq. to pay more attention to his state, if indeed he exists and is not a phantom, rather than spreading misinformation about Anambra State.”