The political atmosphere in Anambra has taken a new twist as Mrs. Nonye Frances Soludo, wife of the state governor, Professor Chukwuma Soludo, has hit back at Senator Uche Ekwunife, the deputy governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the forthcoming November 8 election.
Mrs. Soludo, who had previously ignored the ex-lawmaker’s remarks, said she could no longer tolerate what she described as malicious and unfounded allegations directed at her and her family. In a strongly worded statement issued on Saturday, the First Lady accused Ekwunife of crossing “a dangerous red line” by dragging her children into political mudslinging.
She said a public oath and scientific proof would put the matter to rest.
“Since Uche Ekwunife claims to be a converted Catholic, I challenge her for both of us to swear an oath of fidelity and chastity at any cathedral, before the Blessed Sacrament and the Bible. I will swear (with my children) that in my 55 years on earth, I have known only one man — Chukwuma Soludo. On your part, you should also swear (with your children or your political ambition) that since you got married, you have never cheated on your husband,” she declared.
Mrs. Soludo also issued a second challenge — a paternity test for their children. She invited Ekwunife to subject all their children to DNA tests in three reputable hospitals in London, pledging to personally bear all expenses, including travel and medical costs. She stressed that her family was ready “any moment” before the November election.
“If the results confirm that my husband is the father of all my children, I will even congratulate you with a cash prize,” she added.
The governor’s wife insisted that she had always conducted herself with dignity. She explained that she had never worked for anyone but had always been a professional and entrepreneur in Nigeria and abroad, even during her husband’s tenure as CBN governor. She further clarified that she never met the late Governor Chinwoke Mbadinuju, contrary to Ekwunife’s claims, and emphasised that in her 55 years she had only known one man, her husband, whom she married as a virgin and to whom she had remained faithful throughout their 33 years of marriage.
“This may be difficult for an Uche Ekwunife to comprehend,” she said pointedly.
Mrs. Soludo, who described herself as “a woman of conservative Catholic upbringing,” said she prided herself in chastity and urged Ekwunife to prove the same.
She expressed disappointment, recalling how she had hosted and fed Ekwunife and her children in her home, only to be repaid with “fabricated invectives and criminal allegations.”
“Many advised me to ignore her, but this is a different season with a different woman. My weapons are decency, character, and grace. I am a long-distance runner, and I welcome you to the marathon,” she said.
Warning that legal action would follow unless the senator retracted her claims and tendered an apology within 72 hours, Mrs. Soludo dismissed Ekwunife’s video rant against her husband as “laughable and infantile.”
“We all know the true source of her frustration. Nwoke bu nwoke! Enough said,” she concluded.