Condemnation trails Ondo deputy gov’s alleged assault on wife

• Wife confirms assault in cryptic social media post
• It’s untrue, says Aiyedatiwa
• Women’s group insists on taking action

There are concerns over alleged domestic violence by Deputy Governor of Ondo State, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, against his wife, Oluwaseun. With the situation sparking outrage in the state, there have been calls for condemnation of the alleged action, given that the deputy governor is a public officer and is being looked upon as a role model.

A civil society group, the Society for Women Empowerment (SWE), yesterday, gave Aiyedatiwa a seven-day ultimatum to publicly apologise to his wife for allegedly manhandling her.

The group accused Aiyedatiwa of repeatedly assaulting and abusing his wife, even in the presence of his staff and friends. However, the Deputy Governor’s Press Secretary, Kenneth Odusola, in a swift reaction, denied the allegation, saying his boss reserved the right to privacy on issues pertaining to his family.

Meanwhile, shortly after the denial, Aiyedatiwa’s wife posted on her social media page a cryptic message alluding to the assault and domestic violence.

The post read: “According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), one in three women worldwide have experienced physical and/or sexual violence at a 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!”

The women’s group, in a statement made available to newsmen by its Coordinator, Damilola Charles, in Akure, the state capital, stated: “We have read the reaction of the deputy governor. It is funny how the deputy governor was applauding 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 and suffering from domestic abuse.”

“In this particular case of the deputy governor’s wife, we shall provide photographs of battered face portions at the appropriate time to substantiate our claim. We shall also provide video evidence of the reaction of the children to the various incidents when they arrived in Nigeria from the United Kingdom.

“Many are soaking their pillows with tears and afraid to speak up because their husbands are highly-placed. We are saying, “No more domestic violence. Irrespective of who you are.”