Soludo: Breaking Jinx with Daughter’s Marriage

Governor Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra state penultimate week gave out his daughter, Adaora in marriage and confessed that it was a jinx breaking event. David-Chyddy Eleke reports that Soludo has followed a pattern of consistently beaking jinxes.

Two weeks ago, pictures of the daughter of Anambra State governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo, Adaora and his heartthrob, Arinze Ibekwe surfaced on social media, where they held their marriage in a London registry in the presence of few family members.

Critics went to work and lampooned the governor for joining the new fad of prominent individuals who hold their daughters marriages outside their ancestry.

Earlier, Senator Andy Ubah had held his daughter’s traditional marriage in Abuja, while Senator Victor Umeh had given his daughter out in a colourful ceremony held in Enugu. Some other individuals had also held traditional events outside the state, including music star, Flavour who quietly ferried his father’s corpse to his hometown, Umunze, Anambra State and conducted a private burial for him, before moving to Enugu for the funeral ceremony, where he entertained his guests.

These actions had been attributed to insecurity in the state, and when Soludo’s daughter’s marriage pictures abroad surfaced, critiques accused him of joining the trend because he had failed in the area of security. But what no one knew was that the governor was not ready to let such a memorable event slip through his fingers, as he was later to confess that the event of his daughter’s marriage would be the very first in the Soludo dynasty, in the past 142 years.

To mark it, Soludo organized a colourful ceremony in his hometown, Isuofia, where he in the company of the larger Soludo family, received their in-laws and performed the traditional rite for their daughter’s marriage. An event that had eluded them for the past 142 years.

Soludo took to his Facebook page after the wedding ceremony to explain that: “To the glory of God Almighty and in the presence of my family, kinsmen, friends, and my in-laws from Onitsha, I gave out my lovely daughter, Ifeatu Adaora Soludo, to her heartthrob after all traditional rites had been met and certified in line with the customs of the Isuofia community.

“I celebrate this historic event. God has graciously blessed the larger Soludo family with another such marital union after 142 years (by my estimate). This is largely due to the fact that female children have been a rarity in the past three generations of the Soludo family. To break that “jinx,” God has mercifully provided me with four beautiful daughters, whom I celebrate every day.”

Though the governor failed to explain what he called rarity of female kids in his dynasty for 142 years, but sources said that within the three generations mentioned by the governor, only male children were given birth to. While the males in the family were bringing in wives, the Soludo family never gave out any daughter within the period because it had none to give out.

The source said: “I can not explain to you if it was a curse, but what was important was that Soludo broke the jinx after he got married 31 years ago, by having the first child as a daughter, and the only daughter then in the entire dynasty. Since then, they have been having daughters, and Soludo himself now has four.”

In a press release, Soludo’s press secretary, Mr Christian Aburime eulogized him as a man who has broken jinx in many sphere of life, including academia, governance and now family.

Aburime said: “From his early days as a brilliant student and academic, his stint as a revolutionary CBN governor, his current role as an exemplary leader, to his amazing family story as he just gave out his first daughter in marriage, Professor Soludo has consistently demonstrated a unique pattern of inherent jinx-breaking and pace-setting greatness.

“Of course, his journey as a jinx breaker began in the halls of academia. As a first-class student, he didn’t merely excel; he dominated, winning numerous best prizes during his educational journey. This early demonstration of intellectual prowess laid the foundation for a life dedicated to pushing the boundaries of knowledge and achievement.

“In the world of academia, becoming a professor is a significant achievement. Becoming one at the age of 38 is nothing short of extraordinary. Soludo’s ascension to the rank of Professor of Economics at such a young age broke age-related conventions in the ivory tower.

“When his career took him to the public space of governance, Professor Soludo kept on the streak of excellence. 20 years ago, as the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, he initiated a banking reform that was nothing short of revolutionary. His audacious moves reshaped the country’s financial sector, consolidating and strengthening banks, and setting Nigeria on a path to greater financial stability and growth. He thus challenged and changed the status quo for the greater good.

“As Governor of Anambra State, Prof. Soludo has continued his trend of breaking jinxes. He shattered a 31-year-old impasse by building a befitting State House in Awka, the state capital. This act not only provided a proper seat of government, but also symbolised progress and the dawn of a new era in state governance.

“Perhaps one of the most intriguing aspects of Prof. Soludo’s jinx-breaking ability today is how it extends into his family life. The recent traditional marriage ceremony of his daughter, Adaora, to Arinze Ibekwe in Isuofia, Anambra State, broke a 143-year female gender wedding hiatus in the Soludo lineage. The joyous occasion of giving out his first daughter in marriage marks yet another barrier shattered.

“The consistent pattern of breaking records and setting new standards in his academic, professional, political, and personal life paints the picture of an exceptional individual. Professor Soludo embodies the qualities of a game-changing leader, one who sees beyond current limitations and works tirelessly to create new realities.”