The son of late Ikemba Nnewi, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, Emeka Jr and the father’s widow, Bianca are in war of words over Governor Willie Obiano’s leadership in All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).
Ojukwu’s wife, Bianca, had claimed in a recent interview that the late Ojukwu told her a lot of things concerning Biafra and Nigeria war.
Bianca said that it was not proper for APGA to name Obiano as Ojukwu’s successor, claiming that the Governor did not know the philosophy of the party despite being the governor.
However, in a statement Thursday in Awka, Chukwuemeka Jr, claimed that his father did not tell anybody anything, adding that Bianca should stop ridiculing the name of the Igbo Icon
Ojukwu’s son who signed the statement as APGA governorship aspirant, said respect should be accorded to Obiano as the governor of the state.
According to him, “I find it exigent from the perspective of an insider, to present the truth so as to preserve and protect the ideals that my late father and mentor held sacred, the good name of H.E. Governor Obiano and the reputation of the Party my father bequeathed to us.
“Given his standing by birth, heritage, disposition and calling, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu never shied away from fully expressing his feelings, observations and apprehensions.
“Having trained first as a historian at Oxford University, I find it difficult to accept that he would resort to oral history with all the known attendant pitfalls.
“As a matter of fact, he documented his views concerning Biafra and Nigeria in books and live interviews for ease of reference. Any attempt therefore, to recast or present his views regarding Biafra or Nigeria without proper references should be considered dead on arrival.
“Claims therefore of what the legend told or did not tell the claimant about Biafra/Nigeria, should be regarded as the views of the said claimant, in pursuit of what, I don’t know.
“I do not need to be tutored in the proclivities, idiosyncrasies and mannerisms of my late father. As such, I therefore, make bold to state without fear of contradiction that the Dikedioranma Ndigbo I know, never equivocated.
“If he had something worthwhile to say on a subject, he would have stated it on record and not passed it through any intermediary.
“Having worked for many years closely with Governor Obiano, I can, with the same level of confidence, state unequivocally, that he did not and would not make the disparaging and false statements towards my late father, attributed to him in that article.
“Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu out of altruism and with respect to the love he had for Ndigbo, donated pro bono his identity and image to the All Progressives Grand Alliance for perpetual appropriation and usage.
“His image remains till date, the oxygen that powers the ideals of APGA. It is therefore preposterous for somebody out there to insinuate that the APGA National Leader and Governor of Anambra State, Chief Willie Obiano would contemplate and entertain discussion on disconnecting the Party from its lifeline with the claimant of all people. Where? How? When?.
“What I see playing out is frustration occasioned by the reckless, unrestrained, disrespectful expectations of persons who take delight to pontificate on matters about which they know next to nothing.
“It is most uncharitable to opine that His Excellency Governor Willie Obiano is the leader of a party whose and I quote: “founding principles, ideology and history he knows next to nothing about,” he said.
