A video clip circulating on social media has revealed it was Bianca Ojukwu who slapped the wife of former Governor Willie Obiano, Ebelechukwu, at the inauguration of Prof Charles Soludo as the new governor of Anambra State, and not the other way round.
Mrs Ojukwu is the widow of the late Biafran leader, Dim Odumegwu Ojukwu.
Because Mrs Obiano stood up from her seat and walked up to where Mrs Ojukwu sat, many people, including reporters, thought she (Mrs Obiano) was the one who assaulted the other.
The incident occurred immediately after Soludo took his oath of office.
Premium Times reports: “This is a clearer video of the festival of shame that took place today at Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo’s inauguration,” a journalist, Charles Ogbu, commented on the clip which showed what really happened.
“In this video, former governor Chief Willie Obiano’s wife, Osodieme Obiano, walked to where lady Bianca Odumegwu Ojukwu was seated. And after an exchange of words which wasn’t so audible, Lady Bianca could be seen gifting Obiano’s wife what many have described as a farewell slap.”
One online newspaper reported that Mrs Obiano allegedly mocked Mrs Ojukwu, saying: “I thought you said we would never be governor.”
Mrs Ojukwu is said to have been scornful of Governor Obiano’s administration throughout the eight-year-tenure.
Hours before Soludo’s inauguration, Mrs Ojukwu wrote on her Facebook page, “It’s liberation day, and today we sing the redemption song,” apparently jubilating that Obiaino’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.
As reported by The Nation, Ebelechukwu, wife of former Governor Willie Obiano and wife of late Ikemba Nnewi, Bianca Ojukwu had engaged in a free-for- all at the inauguration of Prof Chukwuma Soludo as Anambra Governor on Thursday.
The drama ensued when Obiano’s wife arrived the inauguration after Soludo and his Deputy, Onyekachi Ibezim had been sworn in by Chief Judge, Justice Onochie Anyachebelu at exactly 10.55am
Obiano’s wife, who sat close to Senator Uche Ekwunife and Anambra Speaker Uche Okafor, stood up to stay with her husband when the fracas happened.
On her way to where Obiano was sitting, she saw Ojukwu’s wife gorgeously dressed and seated.
Facing her, Obiano’s wife said: “You said we’re not going to be Governor, you ‘bitch.”
An enraged Bianca responded with a slap.
In retaliation, Obiano’s wife held Bianca’s hair and dress before security operatives and other dignitaries barricaded the arena, warning reporters to dismantle their equipment immediately.
While the fight lasted, Obiano, Soludo and Senator Uche Ekwunife among others were stunned.
Before Obiano’s wife got to the arena, security operatives stopped her from driving through the main gate while Bishops were allowed in through the same route.
She alighted from her vehicle and started hitting the gate, ordering the security operatives to open for her.
But the security operatives refused, saying they were working on instruction.
After the fracas, Obiano left the inauguration venue immediately before Soludo’s speech with his wife, looking dejected .
None of the dignatories in attendance wanted to discuss the issue with The Nation.
But others, who reacted on the incident on condition of anonymity, blamed Obiano’s wife for the incident.
Meanwhile, activist Deji Adeyanju of Concerned Nigerians on Thursday said the two women acted as thugs when they publicly fought at the inauguration of Chukwuma Soludo as the governor of the state.
Adeyanju also said the two women should be arrested by the police for breach of public peace, noting that both Bianca and Ebelechukwu set a bad precedent for young ladies present at the event.
The activist had spoken in a chat with The Punch while reacting to the clash of the two women at the Government House, Agu-Awka, Awka, the state capital.
He said, “The police should arrest and charge the two women for disturbance of public peace. They are thugs. What has happened is a bad precedent for young women. It is unfortunate that these are the people we have up there. The loss of values is so obvious. It is sad.”
The two long-feuding women had locked horns at the event on Thursday and exchanged slaps before cameras. The development made the outgoing governor, Willie and his wife to abruptly leave the venue of the swearing-in ceremony of Soludo.
Also the Senator representing Anambra North, Stella Oduah, condemned Obiano’s wife for ‘unwarranted attack’ on Bianca Ojukwu
During the swearing-in of Professor Charles Soludo as governor of Anambra on Thursday, Mrs Obiano and Ojukwu engaged in a physical combat which disrupted the ceremony.
On her Twitter account, Oduah described Mrs Obiano’s “unwarranted attack” as “indecorous and unbecoming” of a former First Lady.
Oduah said, “I hereby condemn in strong terms, this unwarranted attack against the wife of an illustrious son and our very own Ikemba. I wish to add that the act exhibited by the former first lady was indecorous and unbecoming of a woman who had acted as a mother of the state and even desirous of serving in other capacities.
“More condemnable is even the gutter and vulgar language used by Mrs Obiano to describe her fellow woman, who is even a widow. I have always held the view that it is only weak minds that label hardworking women like Bianca with nasty names such as ‘ashawo’.
“What the world witnessed today at the swearing in ceremony is utterly disgraceful, unfortunate, crude and should never be emulated by the millions of our young girls and women who often look up to public figures with respect to how they conduct themselves.”
It should be noted that former governor Willie Obiano, has declared that his wife will be running for the senatorial seat of Anambra North, same seat being occupied by Oduah.
Already, the new Anambra State Governor, Prof Charles Soludo, has apologised for the disruption at his inauguration on Thursday following the fracas between wife of his predecessor, Ebelechukwu Obiano and late Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu’s wife Bianca, who engaged in a free-for-all.
In a statement Thursday after the inauguration from Soludo’s media office by its head, Joe Anatune, Soludo apologised for the breach of protocol.
He specifically apologised to all Anambra people, friends, and guests who attended his inauguration for the momentary breach of protocol that happened during the event.
The statement said the breach was caused by improper communication which arose from a personal issue between the two parties involved.
According to it, the breach which disrupted proceedings at the event happened after the wife of the former governor, Ebelechukwu Obiano, approached Mrs Bianca Ojukwu and muttered some words that led to fisticuffs.
“Sadly, the fight took the shine off the main event of the day,” the statement read in part.
Soludo said steps were being taken to resolve the misunderstanding and restore the parties to their previous relationship.
