By Steve Oko, UMUAHIA
Two former first ladies, Lady Victoria Aguiyi-Ironsi and Lady Adanma Opara, have died within 24 hours of each other.
Lady Victoria is the wife of the first Military Head of State, Late Gen. Thompson Umunnakwe Aguiyi-Ironsi, while Lady Adanma was the widow of Premier of the defunct Eastern region, Dr. Michael Okpara.
Victoria died Monday morning, while Adanma reportedly died in the early hours of Sunday, about 24 hours earlier.
Both women hailed from Umuahia North Local Government Area of Abia State.
Lady Aguiyi-Ironsi, according to a close family source, died of age-related ailment. She was 98 years old.
READ ALSO: Michael Okpara’s wife, Lady Adanma is dead
Born on November 21, 1923, Lady Victoria was the second First Lady from January 16, 1966 to July 29, 1966, when her husband, Aguiyi-Ironsi, was killed in a counter-coup led by late Gen. Murtala Mohammed.
Earlier on Sunday, Lady Adanma, who would have been 97 years old in December, died; a village source said she died after a protracted illness.
The nonagenarian had been sick for some years before finally succumbing to death in an undisclosed hospital.
Attempts for formal confirmation of the demise of the late Lady Okpara were however unsuccessful as her second son, Chief Uzodinma Okpara did not pick calls put across to him.
Meanwhile, since the demise of her husband, Dr. Michael Okpara in December 1984, the nonagenarian had lived a quiet life and rarely seen in public.
She was a strong pillar behind her husband in the politics of the 1950s and 1960s as Michael Okpara ruled the then Eastern Region with dedication and commitment to people’s welfare, centred on massive industrialisation of the then Eastern Nigeria with agriculture as its centerpiece.
Her late husband, Dr. Okpara was reputed for his selfless but legendary leadership which was responsible for the agricultural and infrastructure transformation recorded in the Old Eastern region comprising the present day South-East, South-South states minus Edo State.
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