It’s Fake, Aim to Tarnish Gov. Aiyedatiwa’s Image

By Adesina Soyooye

The embarrassing video of a man alleged to be Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa,  in a fist cuff with a woman said to be his estranged wife has been dismissed as not true.

The video of the man with a striking resemblance of the Governor went viral and caused a lot of uneasiness.

It happened in London, with both the man and woman exchanging verbal abuses. The woman, also, went physical.

Because of the striking resemblance, not a few people took it for granted that it was the Governor. That was reinforced by the knowledge that the Governor and his wife have a not-too-tidy relationship. About two years ago when Aiyedatiwa was the Deputy Governor, his wife had released a disturbing story on their relationship. Aiyedatiwa was presented as an irresponsible, indifferent, abusive, adulterous husband and father. His wife, thereafter, was said to have moved out of their official lodge in Akure to London.

But the Ondo State Government has dismissed the story that it was the Governor. It called it fake; said it was the handiwork of  the Governor’s detractors; that it was aimed at tarnishing his image; that the ultimate aim was to chip away on his chances at the upcoming Governorship Election in which the Governor is a front line runner on the ticket of the All Progressives Congress, APC. The Government also pointed out a couple of differences in the physical structure of the man in the video and Governor Aiyedatiwa, and added that unlike the man, the Governor had never worked in London before.

Following is the full text of the Government’s statement  signed by Allen Sowore, the Governor’s Senior Special Assistant on Strategic Communication.

The Circulation of a Female Abuser’s Video to Tarnish Governor Aiyedatiwa’s Reputation is Propaganda Taken Too Far

“As preparations for the November 16th, 2024 Ondo State Governorship Election intensify, it is becoming evident that the incumbent Governor, His Excellency Lucky Aiyedatiwa, is gaining the upper hand. In response, opposition parties, particularly the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), seem willing to resort to any means, including blackmail, fake news, and falsehoods, to tarnish the Governor’s image.

“The latest tactic involves the circulation of a video showing an average age man engaged in a domestic scuffle with his spouse. The malicious intent behind sharing this scandalous clip is to damage the reputation of Governor Aiyedatiwa, who is also the APC candidate.

“For the benefit of the unsuspecting public who may be swayed by the video at first glance, it is crucial to clarify that the man in the video is not the Governor of Ondo State. A closer examination of the video reveals several striking differences:

“1. Facial Hair: Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa no longer wears that type of beard, unlike the individual in the clip. The Governor changed his appearance over a year ago.

“2. Diastema: The man in the video has a noticeable gap between his upper and lower teeth (diastema). Governor Aiyedatiwa does not have this feature.

“3. Voice: The man in the video speaks loudly, and his voice is distinctly different from Governor Aiyedatiwa’s vocal tone.

“4. More importantly, Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa has never worked in the United Kingdom at any point in his life, as implied in the conversation from the video.

“5. Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa has an oval face while the individual in the video has a round face.

“The public is encouraged to carefully examine the video and notice these clear distinctions before arriving at the erroneous conclusion that the man in the video is Governor Aiyedatiwa.

“Finally, those responsible for circulating this misleading video and falsely attributing it to Governor Aiyedatiwa should conduct proper fact-checks and desist from such cheap blackmail. The members of the PDP, who have been circulating this video surreptitiously to paint the Governor in a bad light, should cease their efforts and focus instead on addressing their party’s own issues. Àwon alairikanse.”

Sowore’s statement

is dated October 12th, 2024