Senator representing Edo North, Adams Oshiomhole, is under fire after disclosing that the state governor, Godwin Obaseki, and his wife Betsy, do not have a child.
The drama started last Thursday, when the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State flagged off its governorship campaign for Esan South-East Local Government Area at Ubiaja Township Stadium.
During the campaign, Betsy introduced Ifeyinwa Ighodalo, wife of Asue Ighodalo, the PDP governorship candidate, to the crowd present at the event.
Betsy claimed that Ighodalo was the only governorship candidate in the September 21 election with a wife.
The first lady urged women to vote for a candidate who has a wife, adding that it would translate to women’s empowerment.
“Let’s campaign and vote for the best candidate in this forthcoming election. I want to introduce his wife. Incidentally, out of all the candidates contesting this election, only one has a wife,” Betsy said.
“That is our own party candidate — Asue Ighodalo. This is his wife, Ifeyinwa Ighodalo.”
However, reacting in an interview with a few media stations, Oshiomhole said he was shocked to hear Betsy say Monday Okpebholo, the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has no wife.
The senator said Okpebholo has two children and have attended his campaigns.
The former Edo governor claimed that Betsy and his husband have no child and did not adopt.
“I was shocked yesterday to see Mrs Obaseki, the first lady, saying our candidate has no wife. I’m sorry she had to say that because here is a woman who has no child. Between him (sic) and Obaseki, they are childless. They are not even ready to adopt,” Oshiomhole said.
“I don’t blame anybody who doesn’t have a child but people who have love for children go to a motherless home and adopt. They have not adopted. They are both in their sixties.
“Our candidate not only has children, he has invested in the education of those children, such that the first one who spoke (at a campaign rally) is a lawyer, and the second is a medical doctor. They addressed the crowd in Edo south, Edo central and north, and their mother was there.”
Oshiomhole’s comment attracted condemnation on X, formerly Twitter.
Lord Charles of Churchgate wrote: “Mrs. Obaseki and Oshiomole are both silly for those statements. They will leave critical issues aside and start making heavy weather of who has a wife and who doesn’t have a child. Politics makes elderly people behave like kids.”
Also, Oloye T.D Esq said: “Can you imagine a man at 70+. Wisdom doesn’t go with age. Oshiomole should come up from this pettiness.”
Another user identified as Ochinanwata D 1st said: “This man called Oshiomhole needs to be tamed at all cost. A man whose mouth runs like a leaking tap with no control . A very irresponsible man . These are the kind of characters in the senate.”
