A woman group, the Society for Women Empowerment (SWE), has issued a seven-day ultimatum to the Deputy Governor of Ondo State, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, to tender a public apology to his wife, Oluwaseun, for beating her in the presence of his staff.
The group said it would carry out a massive protest if Aiyedatiwa failed to apologise.
In a statement issued by its National Coordinator, Mrs Damilola Charles, the group alleged that the Deputy Governor repeatedly beat his wife in the presence of his staff and friends.
Damilola said wife beating was a civil rights problem of enormous magnitude, saying that the campaign against violence on women must be applicable to elected office holders in the country.
She said investigation revealed that the Deputy Governor had physically assaulted his wife twice in the last four months.
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.
“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 into disrepute. We are, to say the least, disappointed with this embarrassing conduct.
“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.”
Asked to react to the allegation, the Press Secretary to Aiyedatiwa, Kenneth Odusola, said that family matters should be left for family to handle.
He said: “There is no reaction. Family matters should be left for family matters. That is not for your own consumption. So, I don’t know about it.
“I don’t look at family matters, so I don’t know about any domestic violence.
“Whoever may have talked to you or given you information should go and get his facts and not from me, because I am not employed by a family and I don’t get involved.”
Credit: The Nigeria Lawyers