419
By Oscar Okhifo
The Anambra State Government has rejected an apology allegedly issued on behalf of Senator Uche Ekwunife over claims that she defamed Governor Chukwuma Soludo and his wife, Dr. Nonye Soludo.
Ekwunife, who is the deputy governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the forthcoming Anambra election, was accused of making damaging remarks suggesting infidelity on the part of the First Lady.
A statement signed by the media aide to Senator Ekwunife, Tony Ezike on behalf of the “Ekwunife Campaign Organization,” disowned and condemned a controversial article linking Mrs. Soludo to former political godfather, Chief Chris Uba. The statement also cautioned supporters against escalating the matter through further publications.
But the Anambra government, through the Senior Special Assistant on New Media to the Governor, Ejimofor Opara, dismissed the apology as unauthentic, stressing that there was no known body called “Ekwunife Campaign Organization.”
Opara insisted that any retraction must come directly from Senator Ekwunife herself and must reference the video and audio recordings where the defamatory allegations were made. He added that only a personal, unambiguous apology delivered through the same channels would be acceptable.
The development follows an earlier 72-hour ultimatum issued by Dr. Nonye Soludo, who challenged Ekwunife to retract her remarks, swear an oath before the Blessed Sacrament affirming her marital fidelity, and submit her children, along with the Soludos’, to DNA tests to end the controversy.
While Ekwunife’s camp denies authorship of the defamatory publication, the Soludo family maintains that the senator must take responsibility. Legal action has not been ruled out if a satisfactory retraction is not issued.
The public now awaits what the senator will say next.