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By Oscar Okhifo
The political atmosphere in Anambra State took a dramatic turn at the weekend as Nonye Soludo, wife of Anambra State Governor, Professor Chukwuma Soludo, publicly challenged Senator Uche Ekwunife to take an oath of fidelity and undergo DNA verification following alleged infidelity claims.
Mrs. Soludo, in a strongly worded statement on Saturday, described the allegations as malicious, false and a desperate attempt to drag her family into political mudslinging.
She declared that in her 55 years of life, she has only known one man her husband, whom she married as a virgin stressing that her 33-year marriage remains “ironclad.”
She further denied ever working in government or depending on public funds at any point in her life, dismissing suggestions that her family lived off political privileges.
Throwing down the gauntlet, the Governor’s wife challenged Senator Ekwunife to swear publicly before the Blessed Sacrament and the Bible, affirming that since her marriage she has never cheated on her husband.
She also demanded DNA verification of her children in three reputable hospitals in London, pledging to cover all expenses, including travel and logistics.
“I have given Senator Uche Ekwunife 72 hours to withdraw these wicked allegations and tender an unreserved apology. If she fails, I will have no option but to seek redress in court,” Mrs. Soludo warned.
In a swift response, Senator Ekwunife dismissed the challenge, insisting that matters of fidelity and chastity are private and not for political display. She argued that such explanations are owed only to one’s spouse and not to political rivals or the public.
This clash is the latest in a string of bitter exchanges between the Soludo camp and Senator Ekwunife as Anambra gears up for the November 8 Governorship election.
Recently, while replying to an earlier jab from Governor Soludo, Senator Ekwunife had mocked him, advising his wife to “take care of her husband’s oral health.”
That spat had hardly settled before the current duel with the Governor’s wife erupted, further heating the already tense political atmosphere.
Public reactions have been mixed, with some citizens dismissing the feud as a distraction from real issues.
An Onitsha-based trader, who identified himself simply as Akachi, said the oath Mrs. Soludo demanded was not weighty enough. “Neither the Blessed Sacrament nor Holy Communion nor the Bible kill deviants. Both of them should swear with Amadioha. The guilty one shall face the consequences,” he declared.
Analysts note that Nigerian politics has long been plagued by a culture of vituperations and character assassination.
Political actors often believe that all is fair, as though in a civil war, and unleash arsenals of rhetoric that many consider despicable and unacceptable.
With little accountability for the insults, propaganda, and sometimes violence traded during campaigns, the system has mutated into one many describe as barbaric and horrific.
The unfolding feud between the Anambra First Lady and Senator Ekwunife, critics warn, is yet another example of how personal attacks have overtaken issues-based politics in Nigeria’s democratic space.