In recent times, there has been political brickbat in Anambra State between Governor Chukwuma Soludo, his wife, Nonye and the running mate of the APC governorship candidate, Senator Uche Ekwunife. David-Chyddy Eleke reports that apologies have been tendered and rejected over the impasse.
After a recent heated argument that first involved Governor of Anambra State, Prof Chukwuma Soludo and the Deputy Governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Uche Ekwunife about accusations of fake certificate levied against the latter by the former, which elicited a reply from Ekwunife, causing her to take a jab at the wife of the governor, Mrs Nonye Soludo, tempers have calmed with apologies following.
In the exchange, a visibly angry Mrs Soludo had attacked Ekwunife for daring to mention her name in what she considered a political war against those in the contest. Reacting to Ekwunife’s attack on her where her fidelity to her husband and the paternity of her children were questioned, Mrs Soludo wrote Ekwunife personally, challenging her to an oath before the Blessed Sacrament (both are Catholics), to swear that they had both been faithful to their husbands.
Mrs Soludo’s also challenged Ekwunife to bring all her children on an all-expense paid trip to London, alongside she and her children, for a DNA test to ascertain that they were fathered by their husbands. She thereafter vowed that contrary to Ekwunife’s accusations, he was married a virgin and has only known her husband in all her 55 years of existence on earth and 30 years in marriage.
These exchanges were described by many as washing dirty linens in public and got many political actors intervening, calling for an end to such style of politicking, while many accused Soludo of lowering the bar of politics in the state under his administration by igniting the debate.
One of those who intervened, the governorship candidate of Labour Party (LP), Dr George Moghalu, said: “Some people have been wanting me to speak about the virtuperations that are coming out of Anambra State. I believe there are many things to be talked about and we should not belittle ourselves, or involve in many things that cast aspersions on people. At our level, we should be civil.
“We should be able to see things that are not working well in government and speak about them, or we should rather market yourselves. You are dealing with people, so tell them what you can do to make the society a better place instead of discussing things that are very embarrassing. Talking about sex and educational qualifications brings down the bar of governance. If you think the government has not done enough, then you should say how you will do it,” Moghalu has stated.
In what looked like heeding the plea of many, Ekwunife in a press release by her Special Adviser, Media & Publicity, Mr Tony Ezike apologized to the Soludos, and also refuted claims that the wife of the governor had children for self styled godfather of Anambra politics, Chief Chris Uba.
She said: “The attention of Senator Uche Ekwunife, the Anambra All Progressives Congress (APC) Deputy Governorship Candidate, has been drawn to an article falsely attributed to her camp, alleging that Mrs. Nonye Soludo, the wife of the Anambra State Governor, had children for Chief Chris Uba. Senator Uche Ekwunife categorically states that although she has been maligned, defamed, and disparaged by the Governor’s media team, the said publication did not emanate from her or her camp.
“She further wishes to apologize to the Governor, his wife, and the general public who may have been affected by the altercations of the past few days. Senator Ekwunife calls on her supporters to remain focused and avoid any media writing that may suggest altercation with the First Family or any other person as she continues with her campaigns.”
The apology was however rejected by the governor and his wife. The basis of the rejection was partly because the release was not signed by Ekwunife herself, and that she only refuted making allegations of Mrs Nonye Soludo having children for Uba, without also disclaiming that of former governor, Dr Chinwoke Mbadinuju, which she had been captured saying herself.
According to Dr Ejimofor Opara, Senior Special Assistant to Soludo on media who signed the release rejecting the apology, it should have come in the form of a video, the same way Ekwunife had made the allegations. He described it as a piece fit for the trash bin.
He said: “Our attention has been drawn to a press statement purporting to emanate from an entity described as the “Ekwunife Campaign Organization” and captioned “Ekwunife Campaign Organization Disowns And Condemns Malicious Article Associated With Her”. This purported apology from a seemingly fictitious organization raises more questions than answers. Worse still, the statement was signed by an unknown person who was not the source of Madam Ekwunife’s slur remarks against the Governor and his wife. The publication, authored by one Tony Ezike, Special Adviser, Media and Publicity, presents several issues:
“The publication purporting to be an apology for the defamatory statements personally made against the Governor and his wife by Senator Ekwunife, does not appear to have emanated from the Senator herself, given that her defamatory statements were made directly via recorded video and leaked audio conversation. It is a known fact that there is no campaign organization known as the “Ekwunife Campaign Organization” since Senator Ekwunife’s ticket is a joint one with the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress.
“This suggests that the statement did not truly emanate from Senator Ekwunife and therefore cannot be credited to her. At best, it may be a ploy to prevaricate the fundamental issues posed by the First Lady in her personally signed statement. Wherein she challenged Senator Ekwunife to two key issues. First, that she, as a converted Catholic, agrees to swear an oath before the blessed sacrament that she has not known any other man since her marriage to Chief Larry Ekwunife, and she (Dr. Nonye Soludo) would also do same. The second is for her to accept an all expense paid DNA test of her four children, three of whom were allegedly fathered by men other than her husband. In like manner, Mrs Soludo would present her six children for same test.
“The defamatory publications were directly made by Senator Ekwunife through audio recordings and statements. Any apology or retraction should logically come from the same source to carry significance. Sadly, the so-called apology never referenced Uche Ekwunife’s initial video and audio but chose to focus on an unsigned article. The purported apology referencing an unknown article with unknown authors, only points to one thing, and that is her complicity directly or indirectly as the source of the article—which contains only one of the many accusations she made against the Governor’s wife—it implies that no genuine apology was intended or tendered.
“The publication is not considered an apology or retraction by Senator Ekwunife and is believed not to emanate from her. If she intended to apologize, she should present it in a manner that leaves no doubt about its source or reliability. More importantly, slander or libel directly made by an individual cannot be vicariously dismissed by any agent or person other than the individual who made them. We consider the purported apology as another unsubstantiated social media gossip/fabrication that is neither verifiable nor credible. It leaves ample room for plausible deniability.
“We will proceed as if this piece of propaganda never happened, while maintaining the position that a proper and direct retraction of all fabrications against the Governor and his wife by Senator Ekwunife is necessary. Such a retraction should be made through a medium that leaves no doubt about its authenticity. Therefore, a contrite apology must follow a personal and direct retraction of her defamatory statements,” the statement read.
Though the apology was rejected, normalcy has returned to the state’s political space, while candidates have resumed campaigns. Mrs Soludo still insists that her challenge to Ekwunife on oath of fidelity and DNA test for her children stands, stating she will bear the cost. A challenge which may not be honored.
