Why I shunned APGA guber campaign flag-off at Awka – Bianca Ojukwu

By Pamela Eboh Awka

Mrs Bianca Ojukwu said in Awka on Sunday that she shunned Saturday’s flag-off of APGA governorship campaign to protest “post-mortem disrespect’’ to her deceased husband

She laid the blame of the “post-mortem disrespect’’ to Dim Chukwuemeka Ojukwu on the doorstep of APGA’s leadership.

Prof. Chukwuma Soludo and Dr Ifeanyi Ibezim, APGA’s governorship and deputy governorship candidates, respectively, kick-started their 2021 campaign at on Saturday.

Bianca was conspicuously absent at the event unlike previous mega political activities held by APGA, a party that branded late Ojukwu as the spiritual leader of the party.

Ambassador Bianca Ojukwu  described the removal of her husband’s image from the uniform of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA as an affront and ill treatment to her late husband by the present leadership of APGA.

She said Ojukwu should not be like a light switch that can only be switched on for party campaign, and turned off once the election is won.

Ojukwu expressed displeasure over the decision of APGA leadership under Governor Willie Obiano to expunge her husband’s image from APGA uniform and other insignia of the party.

The former Nigerian Ambassador to Spain who was absent.from APGA’s governorship campaign flagoff labelled  the party as presently constituted a field of ‘sorrow’ for so many walking wounded

She described the walking wounded as aggrieved aspirants, party members at the grassroots, as well as party stakeholders.

“It is an irony that today, Governor Willie Obiano has gone back to his own vomit by resuscitating Dim Ojukwu’s pictures for use in campaigning for the upcoming elections in Anambra State.

“It is most unfortunate that Obiano decided to remove the picture of Ojukwu and replace same with his picture, just to drive home his statement that ‘he would no longer tie the fate and fortunes of APGA to the memory of a dead man’, obviously in reference to my husband.

“This is the height of opportunism and hypocrisy. Is Ojukwu not the same man Obiano once described as a dead man who was no longer relevant to the party?

“Why should I permit him to keep trampling on the legacy of my late husband who put his heart and soul into this party?

She lamented that the report of the Sen. Victor Umeh-led Peace and Reconciliation Committee that visited her in Enugu few weeks ago which pointed the way forward for APGA, had been discarded by the Governor and the party leadership.

Her absence as well as that of other notable stakeholders of the party at the rally had kept party faithful wondering, especially as there had been a purported reconciliation visit few weeks ago, between her and the party, by the  Senator Victor Umeh led Reconciliation Committee.

She however, expressed hope that the party will have a fair chance of winning despite the current travails.