A civil society group, the Society for Women Empowerment (SWE), in Ondo State, has challenged the state Deputy Governor, Hon Lucky Aiyedatiwa, to have his wife, Oluwaseun, deny the allegations of assault and abuse between them through a video statement.
The group, which had previously accused Aiyedatiwa of repeatedly assaulting and abusing his wife, even in the presence of his staff and friends, asked the deputy governor to come forward and refute the allegations through his wife.
In a statement issued by the group’s Coordinator, Damilola Charles, in Akure, the state capital, they said: “We are in possession of a reaction signed by the wife of the deputy governor. The reaction and her account are too detailed to ignore.
“We have checked the facts mentioned in the reaction and verified the information based on the dates and times provided. We are convinced that the deputy governor or someone very close to him must have issued the said statement.
“In light of this, we are challenging the deputy governor to ask his wife to address the Nigerian women in a video. It should not be difficult for a woman whose husband occupies an esteemed office to refute lies against her husband.
“We are giving the deputy governor a 24-hour ultimatum to ask his wife to make the video. If this ultimatum expires, we will mobilize women’s groups and organizations to stage a protest against the deputy governor.
“We are also calling on the First Lady of Ondo State, Chief Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu, to speak out and provide her own account of the situation. In the statement released by the deputy’s wife, she mentioned that the First Lady was aware of the incident.”
The group further stated, “We are also calling on women in the House of Assembly, the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, and all women in the State Executive Council to address this matter. Our intention is not to tarnish anyone’s image or harm their reputation. The question we are asking is why it is difficult for the deputy governor to convince his wife to make a video and refute these allegations.
“We are deeply concerned that, following the statement signed by the deputy governor’s wife, she might be facing threats. We will always stand up for women across the country and take necessary measures to protect them.”
However, the deputy governor’s office released a statement denying the allegations, stating, “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 a crisis in the state had been known for weeks.
“Therefore, such falsehood does not come as a surprise. While His Excellency reserves the right to privacy on matters concerning his family, it is important to state clearly that there has never been any domestic violence between the deputy governor and his lovely wife, Mrs Oluwaseun Aiyedatiwa, who is currently outside the country. ”
