Why I slapped Mrs Obiano during Soludo’s inauguration – Bianca Ojukwu

Bianca Ojukwu has given reasons why she slapped Ebelechukwu, the wife of former Governor Willie Obiano at Thursday’s inauguration of Charles Soludo as the sixth elected governor of Anambra State.

Bianca is the widow of the late Biafran leader, Odumegwu Ojukwu.

The scuffle between the two women drew the attention of security agents and some guests who rushed in to separate them.

The incident temporarily disrupted activities at the ceremony.

Mrs Ojukwu, in a statement on Friday published by Arise News Television, said she slapped Mrs Obiano because the former first lady attacked her and used “unprintable vile language” on her.

Mrs Ojukwu said she did not pay any attention to the former first lady’s when the latter arrived at the venue of the ceremony.

“Surprisingly, she then walked towards me and I thought she was coming to greet me. Instead, when she got to where I was seated, she verbally attacked me with her voice raised, taunting me and asking me what I was there to do and using unprintable vile language,” Mrs Ojukwu said, according to Arise News.

Continuing, she said: “Then, she kept aggressively putting her hands on my shoulders and shouting. While I ignored her verbal onslaught, as advised by those sitting around me, I requested twice that she refrain from touching me with her hands.

“She proceeded to do so yet again and went further to grab at my head tie, which she attempted unsuccessfully to remove. As she made towards me, I then pulled away her wig. She held on to her wig with her two hands and tried to take the wig away from me.

“This very act is considered a sacrilege to a titled matriarch such as myself in Igbo culture. It was at this point that I stood up to defend myself and gave her a dirty slap to stop her from attacking me.”

Mrs Ojukwu, who is a former Nigerian ambassador to Spain, said it took the intervention of the former national chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, Victor Umeh, for Mrs Obiano to return to her seat.

Mrs Ojukwu said the former governor, Mr Obiano “sat through the entire episode completely speechless”.

She said the incident was “highly embarrassing” to Mr Obiano who left the venue almost immediately, taking his wife along with him.

Mrs Ojukwu is said to have been scornful of Governor Obiano’s administration throughout the eight-year-tenure.

Hours before Mr Soludo’s inauguration, Mrs Ojukwu wrote on her Facebook page, “It’s liberation day, and today we sing the redemption song,” apparently jubilating that Mr Obiano’s administration was coming to an end.

“Anambra will be better,” she added.

“This is the day the Lord has made…a day that reaffirms the age-long truth that no-one holds the stage forever. I thank the Almighty for keeping us all alive to witness this day,” she said in another Facebook post.