Ojukwu’s Widow was advised to Shelve Senatorial ambition to Avoid Disgrace – Obiano’s Aide

David-Chyddy Eleke in Awka

A special adviser to Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra State, Ifeatu Obi-Okoye, has said that widow of the late leader of the party, Bianca Ojukwu, was advised not to contest the senatorial primary election for Anambra South, but she insisted.

The former publicity secretary of APGA explained that the move was geared towards saving the name of Ojukwu from disgrace in the event that she loses.

He said Bianca was advised not to go into the poll by the hierarchy of APGA to save her and Ojukwu as brand name from embarrassment should the exercise end in the negative.

Obi-Okoye said both privately and public, Ojukwu’s widow was asked not to run but she insisted “to test her popularity”, describing her outing and failure in the poll as unfortunate.

The governor’s aide said Bianca lost to a more experienced politician, Nicholas Ukachukwu, who has severally run for the position of governor of Anambra State and also for Senate.

He said, “It’s regrettable that she contested that election. She should not have. I am sure if our leader, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, was alive, he would not have allowed her to contest.

“It was unnecessary for Bianca to have run. If you decide to run, you either win or lose. She did not run because she was the widow of Ojukwu, but she run to test her popularity.

“I am not aware she was badly treated in that exercise. Looking at the primary election, the man that won is Ukachukwu. He has been around and has been in the National assembly for Abuja and contested for governor under Hope Democratic party, PDP and ANPP in Anambra State. He is not new in politics.

“It would have been okay if the wife of our leader did not contest at all, so that the question of how she was treated would not have arisen. In this business (politics), it is quite rough and once you come in, you expect anything to happen.

Obi-Okoye added, “On one occasion in my presence, it was the senatorial candidate from Abia South that moved a motion for the wife of our leader to become the vice presidential candidate and everybody accepted that.

“The motion was however, not binding on the BOT of the party or on Bianca, but she stood and opposed it.

“I believed that in asking her to be the vice presidential candidate was a subtle way of telling her not to run.

“We preferred her to play a more nationalistic role. I also know that in a private meeting, Senator Victor Umeh, begged her not to run, but she decided to join the fray and now she is hurt about it, but we hope that soon all will be settled,” Obi-Okoye stated.