Mrs. Bianca Ojukwu, Nigeria’s permanent representative to the United Nations World Tourism Organization and widow of the late Biafran warlord, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, has narrated what led to the verbal and physical brawl between her and the immediate past first lady of Anambra State, Ebelechukwu Obiano, at the inauguration of Anambra state Governor, Charles Soludo.
THE VENT REPUBLIC recalls that the two women were engaged in an altercation that sought to take off the shine of the swearing-in ceremony of Charles Soludo as Anambra State Governor.
At the event, Ebelechukwu Obiano, the wife of the immediate past governor, Willie Obiano had walked to where Bianca was seated, and a few minutes later, both women engaged themselves in an obvious physical fisticuff, with reports stating that Bianca miffed by Ebelechukwu’s verbal attack had slapped her first before it became a petty fight.
While stating her own side of the story and giving her own account of the unfortunate event, Mrs. Bianca Ojukwu said Mrs. Ebelechukwu Obiano taunted her and asked why she was present at the ceremony, while using unprintable vile language.
In a statement on Friday, the former Nigerian Ambassador to Spain said:
“As the inaugural ceremonies for Prof Charles Soludo and his deputy began and all guests were seated, the Former First Lady of Anambra State, Mrs. Ebele Obiano, was noticeably absent.
“She then arrived some one-and-a-half hours later while the ceremony was on. I didn’t pay any particular attention to her arrival. 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.
“She asked if I had come to celebrate their last day in office. But I ignored her completely. 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 refrained from touching me with her hands.
“She proceeded to do so yet again and went further to grab at my headtie, which she attempted unsuccessfully to remove. 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. 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. The former APGA chairman, Umeh, told her to leave me and told engaged APGA members that had gathered at the spot to lead her away, which they did and took her to the seat next to her husband Chief Willie Obiano who sat through the entire episode completely speechless.
“What struck me through the whole episode was the fact that she was clearly intoxicated. I was stunned by the stench of whisky in her breath at such an early hour of the day. How could a first lady be so drunk and proceeded to turn up in that state at an Inauguration ceremony that began at 9 am? It is unfortunate that she threw all caution to the wind and imported this kind of melodrama to a state ceremony.
“This was highly embarrassing to the Governor who left the venue almost immediately, taking her along with him. Luckily, this did not disrupt the proceedings and I stayed back to witness the ceremony to the end after which we were treated to a sumptuous reception at the Government House.”
