Anambra Guber: Ekwunife Says Soludo’s Attack Unacceptable, Threat To Democracy
Sen. Uche Ekwunife, Deputy Governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Nov. 8 governorship election in Anambra has called on Gov. Chukwuma Soludo to call his supporters to order.
Ekwunife a grassroots politician made the call in Awka on Tuesday while reacting to what she described as ‘an unprovoked attack’ by Mr Chinedu Obigwe an appointee of the governor.
In a Statement signed by Tony Ezike, Special Adviser on Media and Publicity said the attack was a regrettable political miscalculation and an introduction to a troubling pattern of intolerance and political hostility in Anambra.
She said the attacks had exposed not only a disturbing bias but also a dangerous disregard for democratic values noting that the smear campaign, first pushed through anonymous social media accounts was openly being championed
“Obigwe activites, reflects an alarming trend of political suppression, his recent comments, in which he labeled my lawful campaign activities as criminal illustrates an attitude that is not only undemocratic but deeply troubling.
“It is deeply concerning that a routine and legal effort to mobilise voters, particularly women for my party, the APC, could be framed as a criminal act.
“This pattern of behavior, defamation, harassment, and public ridicule, appears to have the silent blessing of Gov. Soludo, whose refusal to speak against these actions gives the impression of complicity.
“For someone who holds academic and leadership credentials, Soludo’s silence is both disappointing and inappropriate,” she said.
Ekwunife said rather than focus on delivering results for the people of Anambra, the governor seems obsessed with undermining her and the rising popularity of the APC joint ticket of Dr Nicholas Ukachukwu herself.
She attributed Soludo’s obvious anxiety over a female political opponent to lack of confidence in his own record and strategy, saying that the attacks on a private citizen revealed a desperate effort to diminish her influence.
She said the use of vile language and insults, including crude remarks aimed at her, was an attack on womanhood which highlighted a dangerous level of misogyny in Anambra’s political space.
“Rather than engaging in meaningful debate or defending his record, Soludo’s camp has chosen to degrade the public space with personal insults and smear tactics.
“Would the governor tolerate such treatment if it were directed at his wife, mother, or daughter?
This is more than political rivalry; it is a calculated effort to silence a woman whose strength and achievements challenge the status quo.
“It also reflects the systemic barriers women in Nigerian politics continue to face, where competence is often met with contempt instead of respect,” she asked.
She regretted that Soludo was misusing his office for manipulation of public narratives to score cheap political points and called on women and people of Anambra to rise and reject the culture of targeted harassment on womanhood.
According to her, the people of Anambra deserve better than insults, distractions, and petty vendetta
