- I didn’t beat her, says deputy governor
Oluwaseun, wife of the Ondo State Deputy Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has posted a cryptic message on her Facebook page following allegations of her fleeing to the United Kingdom due to assault by her husband.
The message, posted alongside a video of her dancing, reads: “According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), 1 in 3 women worldwide have experienced physical and/or sexual violence at some point in their lives. This staggering statistic highlights the pervasive nature of domestic violence and its impact on women globally. Say NO to domestic violence!”
An aide of the deputy governor, who pleaded anonymity, confirmed that the page belongs to Oluwaseun.
But the deputy governor, in a statement by his Press Secretary, Kenneth Odusola, described reports of his domestic abuse and assault on his wife as baseless and false. Aiyedatiwa said the peddlers’ intention to cause crisis had been known for weeks.
The statement reads: “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. 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.”
But the Society for Women Empowerment (SWE), which issued a seven-day ultimatum to Aiyedatiwa to publicly apologise to his wife for allegedly manhandling her, dared him to ask his wife to deny the alleged battery if it didn’t happen.
“We have read the reaction of the deputy governor. It is funny how he was approbating and reprobating. You claim the allegation is a lie but also admitted that it’s a domestic matter. Yet, you didn’t ask your wife to do the rebuttal and sign it. Nigerians are not fools. We understand this situation.
“We are particularly interested in pursuing this to a logical conclusion because there are many women out there who are dying in silence. They are soaking their pillows tears and afraid to speak up because their husbands are highly placed. We are saying, no more domestic violence. Irrespective of who you are.”