Ifeatu Obi-Okoye, a special adviser to Anambra State Governor, Chief Willie Obiano, on Sunday said that the widow of late Biafran warlord, Bianca Ojukwu, lost the senatorial primary election for Anambra South because she contested against a more popular politician.

He explained that the hierarchy of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), the ruling party in the state, rather than support her ambition preferred her playing a nationalistic role.

According to Obi-Okoye, the Ojukwu widow was publicly and privately asked not to contest but she insisted on testing the waters to weigh her popularity.

He said: “On one occasion in my presence, it was the senatorial candidate from Abia South that moved a motion for the wife of our late leader to become the vice presidential candidate and everybody accepted that.

“The motion was however not binding on the BOT of the party or on Bianca, but she stood and opposed it.

“I believe that asking her to be the vice presidential candidate was a subtle way of telling her not to run.

“I also know that in a private meeting, Senator Victor Umeh begged her not to run, but she decided to join the fray and now she is hurt about it, but we hope that soon all will be settled.”

Obi-Okoye described her outing and failure in the poll as unfortunate, saying that a more experienced politician took the victory.

He added: “It’s regrettable that she contested that election. She should not have. I’m sure if our leader, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, was alive, he would not have allowed her to contest.

“It was unnecessary for Bianca to have run. If you decide to run, you either win or lose. She did not run because she was the widow of Ojukwu, but she ran to test her popularity.

“Bianca was advised not to go into the poll by the hierarchy of APGA to save her and Ojukwu as a brand name from embarrassment should the exercise end in the negative.

“I am not aware she was badly treated in that exercise. Looking at the primary election, the man that won is Nicholas Ukachukwu.”

While describing Ukachukwu as a known politician who has been around and been in the National Assembly for Abuja, Obi-Okoli said: “Ukachukwu has contested for governor in Hope Democratic Party, PDP and ANPP in Anambra State. He is not new in politics.

“It would have been okay if the wife of our leader did not contest at all, hence, the question of how she was treated would not have arisen.

“In this business (politics), it is quite rough and once you come in, you expect anything to happen.”

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