In what can only be described as a profound display of political insensitivity and disrespect, supporters of Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo turned what should have been a solemn farewell into a political carnival outside Saint Mary’s Catholic Church during the requiem mass of the late Honorable Justice Azuka.
The late assemblyman, who represented Onitsha North 1 constituency, met a tragic end after being kidnapped in December, only to be found murdered alongside ten others – a devastating incident that occurred under the very administration that today allowed its supporters to dance on the solemnity of his memorial.
As families gathered to bid their final farewells, tears still fresh on their faces, the SYSP and other pro-Soludo support groups chose this moment of grief to launch into a political display that defied all norms of basic human decency. The peace of the memorial was shattered by blaring trumpets and drums, while partisan slogans promoting APGA echoed against the church walls – walls that moments before had contained the prayers and quiet sobs of a community in mourning.
Picture, if you will, the anguish of a mother who, having just said goodbye to her son, must witness political opportunists turning her moment of grief into a campaign rally. Imagine the pain of a wife, trying to maintain composure for a final farewell, only to be confronted by supporters taking selfies in front of the hearse carrying her husband’s remains.
The display was not merely tasteless – it was cruel. These supporters, who presumably act with the blessing of their political patron, blocked the funeral procession with their impromptu rally, forcing the grieving family to wait before they could proceed with their loved one’s final journey. The callousness of using a funeral as a platform for political promotion speaks volumes about the state of our political culture under the current administration.
This incident raises serious questions about Governor Soludo’s leadership and the values he instils in his supporters. Where was the respect for human dignity? Where was the basic empathy that should transcend political boundaries? More importantly, where was the governor’s intervention to stop this shameful display?
The tragic irony cannot be ignored: the same administration that failed to prevent Honorable Azuka’s kidnapping and murder, that failed to protect one of its own assembly members, now allows its supporters to turn his funeral into a political spectacle. This is not merely a failure of judgment – it is a failure of leadership and basic human decency.
We must ask ourselves: Is this the leadership we deserve? Is this how we honour our dead? Is this how we comfort their families? The people of Anambra deserve better than leaders who allow – or worse, encourage – such grotesque displays of political opportunism at the expense of human dignity.
To the family of Honourable Justice Azuka, we extend our deepest apologies for this unconscionable disruption of your moment of grief. To the governor and his support groups, we say: Shame on you. The memory of the honourable assemblyman deserved better. The people of Anambra deserve better. And history will remember this display of callousness for what it was – a dark stain on our collective conscience.
