“Why I Slapped Obiano’s Wife” – Minister Bianca Ojukwu Breaks Silence On Infamous Soludo Inauguration Clash

It was meant to be a landmark moment for Anambra State — the swearing-in of Professor Chukwuma Charles Soludo as governor on Thursday, March 17, 2022. But the pomp and protocol of the occasion were shaken by an unexpected public confrontation between two high-profile women — one of whom is now a serving minister in President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s government.

Bianca Ojukwu, Nigeria’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, and widow of the late Biafran leader Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, stunned the nation when she delivered a slap to the face of Ebelechukwu Obiano, the immediate past First Lady of Anambra State, in full view of dignitaries and cameras.

The clash — caught on video and instantly circulated online — overshadowed the governor’s inauguration and became one of the most talked-about political flashpoints of the year. Now, in an exclusive interview with Arise TV recently, Minister Ojukwu has offered her own detailed version of events.

According to Bianca, she was seated quietly at the venue when Mrs. Obiano arrived an hour late.

“I didn’t pay any attention to her arrival,” Bianca recalled. “Surprisingly, she walked towards me and I thought she was coming to greet me. Instead, she verbally attacked me, her voice raised, taunting me and using unprintable, vile language. She asked if I had come to celebrate their last day in office.”

The minister said she tried to ignore the provocation, but matters escalated quickly.

“She aggressively put her hand on my shoulders, shouting. I requested twice that she refrain from touching me. She proceeded to do so again and even tried to touch my head and remove my head tie,” Bianca said.

That was when the diplomatic restraint gave way to self-defence.

“It was at this point I stood up to defend myself and gave her a dirty slap to stop her from attacking me. As she made towards me, I pulled away her wig. She then held on to her wig with both hands, trying to take it back.”

The fracas was broken up by Senator Victor Umeh, who, Bianca says, urged calm. But she also noted another detail that added fuel to public debate:

“I was stunned by the stench of whisky on her breath at such an early hour of the day. How could the First Lady be so drunk at that time?” she questioned.

Mrs. Obiano, visibly unsettled, was caught on camera hurling insults — calling Bianca an “ashawo” — before security escorted her away.

Despite the chaos, Bianca says she stayed till the end of the inauguration.

“I left with my dignity intact,” she declared.

Today, as Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Bianca Ojukwu is tasked with representing Nigeria on the global stage — a position that demands composure, negotiation skills, and diplomatic tact. But March 17, 2022, remains a reminder that even diplomats have their limits, and that behind the formalities of political life, raw human emotions can sometimes spill into public view.