By Ayodele Oni
A Group championing protection of women, Society for Women Empowerment (SWE) has accused the Deputy Governor of Ondo State, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, of allegedly maltreating his wife, Oluwaseun.
The Group, in a statement by its National Coordinator, Mrs Damilola Charles, said the Deputy Governor has been repeatedly beating his wife, Oluwaseun, even in the presence of his staff and friends.
But the office of the Deputy Governor has denied the allegation saying there has never been any domestic violence between the Deputy Governor and his lovely wife, Mrs. Oluwaseun Aiyedatiwa, who at the moment, is outside the shores of the country.
According to the Group, Wife beating is a civil rights problem of enormous magnitude. It added that the campaign on violence against women must be applicable to elected officers in the country.
The statement reads: “We have taken our time to investigate and confirm the allegations of domestic violence between the Deputy Governor of Ondo State, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, and his wife, Oluwaseun Aiyedatiwa.
“Rumour mills are abuzz about the condemnable act of the Deputy Governor. We, indeed, have it on good authority that the Deputy Governor has, physically, assaulted his wife twice in the last four months.
“It is unacceptable that a Deputy Governor would physically assault his wife and inflict grievous bodily injuries on her. It is equally disturbing that the Deputy Governor would perpetrate this crime against humanity and womanhood and attempt to cover it up.
“Those who occupy public offices are expected to be above board and conduct themselves in a manner that would inspire the people and serve as role models.
“It is shocking to discover that the Deputy Governor assaulted his wife severally to the point that the Wife had to escape to the United Kingdom to save her life.
“The Deputy Governor has broken moral decorum and acted in a manner that brings his office to disrepute. We are, to say the least, disappointed with this embarrassing conduct.”
The Group called on the First Lady of Ondo State, Chief Betty Anyanwu- Akeredolu, and the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development to dig deeper into the matter and unravel the details.
“We are calling on the First Lady, Chief Betty Anyanwu- Akeredolu, and the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development in the State, to look deeper into the situation and represent the interest of the Nigerian women.
“We are aware that the Deputy Governor had deliberately attempted to cover up this incident and also silenced his close aides who witnessed the scene on different occasions.
“We are also giving the Deputy Governor seven days ultimatum to come clean and apologize to his wife publicly. Failure to do this will attract massive action against him.”
However, in a statement, the Press Secretary to the Deputy Governor, Kenneth Odusola-Stevenson, described the allegation as blackmail taken too far.
“It has come to the attention of the Office of the Deputy Governor of Ondo State, Hon. Lucky Aiyedatiwa, that a baseless and false report credited to a faceless Group alleging the Deputy Governor of engaging in domestic abuse and assault on his wife, has been making the rounds in some sections of the media.
“This falsehood and its peddlers would have ordinarily been ignored at this time but the need to halt further negative reports and rumours capable of creating needless tension in our State has necessitated this response.
“The said allegation of domestic abuse against the person of the Deputy Governor is a figment of the imagination of those behind it and their ungodly intentions to cause crisis in the State had been known for weeks and, therefore, such falsehood did not come as a surprise.
“While His Excellency reserves the right to privacy on issues pertaining to his family, it is pertinent to state clearly that there has never been any domestic violence between the Deputy Governor and his lovely wife, Mrs. Oluwaseun Aiyedatiwa, who, at the moment, is outside the shores of the country.
“It is not a secret that Mrs. Oluwaseun Aiyedatiwa has lived and worked in the United Kingdom for many years before her husband became an elected public official in Nigeria and since then she has been shuttling between United Kingdom and Nigeria to take care of the home and the children who are also in the United Kingdom.
“Therefore, any report of alleged domestic issues within the family should be taken as the handiwork of the enemies of the State who are bent on causing crisis where there is none and we, therefore, warn those spreading such falsehood to desist or face the consequences.
“It is concerning to see that a faceless Group said to be headed by a name not known anywhere in the State could sell such fabrication to media men. It is more concerning, however, that such lie, which was not backed with any evidence whatsoever, could be promoted into a news item by Journalists.
“In the last four months, quoted in the false report as timeline, His Excellency has been busy with official duties of his office and has, during the period, performed the duties of the office of the Governor as delegated to him by his boss, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Odunayo Akeredolu, while he was on Leave.
“It is, therefore, uncharitable for anyone to claim that the Deputy Governor has in that period carried out “multiple assaults” on his spouse who is out of the country. This is nothing but political blackmail taken too far.
“We urge the good people of Ondo State to ignore such falsehood as those behind it may just be plotting further attacks on the Deputy Governor to promote their sinister agenda.”
