Commendation As Senator Nwoye Appoints Wife of Murdered Anambra Lawmaker His Aide

By Adesina Soyooye

Commendations have gone the way of Senator Tony Nwoye over the compassion he has shown to Mrs Justina Azuka.

Mrs Azuka is the widow of Hon. Justice Azuka, member Anambra State House of Assembly  under the Labour Party, who was abducted in Onitsha on December 24, 2024, and murdered. Days after he was abducted, his decomposed body was found near the new River Niger Bridge. He left his Widow and three children, all under 10 years, behind.

In sympathy, and to help the young widow take care of her children, stakeholders in Onitsha North 1 State Constituency, which her husband represented before his gruesome murder, decided to shoo her in to replace her husband in the State Assembly. The choice was applauded, and everybody thought it was a done deal.

What was not put into consideration, however, was that the ruling Party in the State, All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, under the leadership of the State Governor, Professor Charles Soludo, would ever  think of fielding a candidate to challenge Mrs Azuka for the seat.

Of course there is no law against that, but not a few

people felt it was morally wrong especially, as her husband was abducted and murdered under Governor Soludo’s  watch.

But that was exactly what Soludo and APGA did. They  fielded another female, a well grounded Lawyer, Mimih Ifeoma Ikpeazu-Azikiwe to challenge her. And, surprisingly, so did the Peoples Democratic Party and the All Progressives Congress.

Because of the leadership crisis in the LP, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, barred it from fielding a candidate. So, Mrs Azuka ran under the African Democratic Congress, ADC.

But it was no use. Not a few stakeholders rooted for her to win, including Peter Obi, the Presidential candidate of the LP in the 2023 Elections who publicly endorsed and presented her.

When the results were announced, the APGA Candidate, trounced Mrs Azuka. She beat her to a very distant second place.

To Mrs Azuka and thousands of people, it was a sad day. It was like her husband has  been killed again.

But enters Senator Nwoye to wipe tears off Mrs Azuka’s eyes. He entered bearing succor.

Less than 24 hours after Mrs Azuka lost the race to replace her murdered husband, Nwoye offered her a job. He appointed her as one of his Legislative Aides – the position of Senior Special Adviser on Special  Duties. The appointment, which letter has already been given to Mrs Azuka, takes immediate effect. It comes with a basic salary of N200,000 a month.