– Why Former Ondo First Lady Came Out Guns Blazing In Her Eulogy
– People Who Beat Their Wives Mocked Him For Loving Her, She Claims
A dethroned First Lady without her Governor-husband may be likened to a Wonder Woman without her laso. She rises each day in discontent and spends each hour cuddling rage in her heart.
Yet anger is a fragile thing, it may be killed by a whiff of forgiveness or a dose of common sense. It thrives on servility and feeds on worship as kings do upon flattery. That is why the cry of the enraged, at all times, skirts around latent or a deep-seated grudge.
On this count, no hellish flame could out-flare the fury in Betty Akeredolu’s heart. The former First Lady of Ondo State and widow to Rotimi Akeredolu rises each day with intent to expose and extract recompense from perceived foes of her late husband.
Eulogising her late husband, recently, at his funeral, Akeredolu lamented that he left her “alone to face all manners of mockery.”
The wife of former Ondo Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, said those who assaulted their wives mocked her late husband for being lovely.
Akeredolu stated this in a tribute she wrote to her late husband during his funeral at Saint Andrews Church, Imola, Owo, in Ondo State.
“In civilised climes, if you beat your wife, jail awaits you even if you are a governor,” stated Akeredolu. “They marvel that a Nigerian man can love his wife. To them na only Oyibo (white) man dey love.”
Although the former first lady did not mention any names, it is believed that she referred to the incumbent governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, who was formerly her husband’s deputy.
It would be recalled that a group known as the Society for Women Empowerment (SWE), once accused Aiyedatiwa, of assaulting Oluwaseun, his wife, while he was deputy governor of Ondo state.
Damilola Charles, SWE’s national coordinator, said it was “disturbing” that Aiyedatiwa would perpetrate the alleged act and be allowed to cover it up.
“It is unacceptable that a deputy governor would physically assault his wife and inflict grievous bodily injuries on her,” the coordinator said in a statement.
Charles asked Betty Akeredolu, then first lady of Ondo, to intervene in the matter and represent the interest of the Nigerian woman.
“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 severely 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,” said Charles.
However, Kenneth Odusola-Stevenson, Aiyedatiwa’s spokesperson, denied the allegation levelled against his principal, stating that it is a known fact that Oluwaseun, who has lived and worked in the UK for years, shuttles between Nigeria and the European country.
He said, “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 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 a lie, which was not backed with any evidence whatsoever, could be promoted into a news item by journalists.”
Notwithstanding his refutation of the allegations of spousal violence levelled against him, Governor Aiyedatiwa never envisaged that Betty, his former principal’s wife would make insinuations concerning it in her tribute at his funeral.
Betty had faced antagonism from certain aides of her late husband, during his lifetime, as she constantly used her social media pages to attack her critics while her husband was on sick bed.
Subsequently, at his funeral, she lamented that Akeredolu left her alone to face all manners of mockery. She said, “You just left me, just like that. It hurts badly; it hurts. Now alone to face all manners of mockery. Not a few lashed out that you were a weakling because you loved me.
“I don’t think so. In their homes, while growing up, they saw their mothers trampled upon as doormats, beaten up like punch bags.
“They copied the template and treated their wives as pieces of furniture that can be easily discarded as trash. And in many instances, the subjugation was garnished with beatings while the community looked the other way and remained unperturbed as gender-based violence reigned supreme nationwide,” she said.
She also described the former Ondo governor as a lovely, passionate and caring man, saying, “Na love at first sight brought us together, biko. No be juju! Na love, make me cross the Niger.
“That love at first sight turned out to be true and pure. And you were proud to say it. You were proud to show it
“You were even prouder to tell the people of Ondo State, and beyond that, we were a team. You were audacious to tell your people that ‘you voted for one but got two’. A testimony of my positive contribution to your life and career, emotionally and intellectually.”
While noting that her husband was never a weakling, Betty pointed out that he respected and gave her honour despite being the state governor.
Akeredolu was buried in Owo, his hometown, amid tributes and eulogies from dignitaries and personalities.
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