Wife of the immediate past governor of Anambra State Ebelechukwu Obiano says she was shocked by Bianca Ojukwu, widow of Igbo leader Odumegwu Ojukwu, when the pair met at the inauguration of Prof Charles Soludo as governor of the state on Thursday, March 17.
Mrs Obiano said in a statement by her media aide Chidiebele Obika that all she did was approach the former beauty queen for their usual friendly banter only to be slapped and pushed by Bianca.
She claimed the attack was unprovoked.
“Mrs Obiano has expressed shock over the attitude of Amb. Bianca Ojukwu who ostensibly was seen in a viral video when she ‘slapped’ her, albeit unprovoked during the inauguration of Prof. Soludo as the 6th democratically elected Governor of the state on Thursday, March 17, 2022,” the statement said.
“She wondered what could cause so much anger and hate that a former diplomat could not manage herself in public. Mrs Obiano stated that she didn’t bother to slap her back, but rather walked away in utter bewilderment.”
Mrs Obiano and Bianca were not on good terms before the incident occurred. The latter had accused former governor Willie Obiano of disrespecting Ojukwu’s family despite using the Ojukwu name to his advantage during political campaigns.
Giving her account of the incident on Friday, March 18, Bianca had said Mrs Obiano “verbally attacked me with her voice raised, taunting me and asking me what I was there to do and using unprintable vile language.”
The former ambassador to Spain said she slapped Obiano’s wife because she attempted to remove her headgear which is considered a sacrilege to a titled matriarch in Igbo culture.
Mrs Obiano’s aide was silent on the allegation that her principal was intoxicated with alcohol at the inauguration.
