Outrage has trailed the comment of Adams Oshiomhole, senator representing Edo north, that Betsy, wife of Godwin Obaseki, governor of Edo, “has no child”.
The controversy erupted after Oshiomhole criticised Mrs. Obaseki for her comments at a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) campaign event, where she introduced Ifeyinwa Ighodalo, wife of PDP’s gubernatorial candidate, as the only candidate’s spouse in the upcoming Edo election.
During the event, Mrs Obaseki urged voters to support a candidate with a wife, implying it would translate to women’s empowerment.
She said, “Let us vote for the best candidate in this coming election, and I want to introduce the wife. Incidentally, among all the candidates, only one has a wife, and it’s our own party’s candidate, Asue Ighodalo. Only he has a wife. This is the wife, Mrs. Ifeyinwa Ighodalo.
“Edo women, know that only one candidate has a wife. Better things come to women when there’s a woman in the Government House. All women in Edo, regardless of party, should see the candidate who has a wife. They will take us higher.”
Oshiomhole, however, faulted the comment by the First Lady in an interview with TVC.
He stated that the All Progressives Congress candidate, Monday Okpebholo, has children in whom he has invested their education, adding that their mother joined them at recent campaigns.
“Our candidate not only has children; he has invested in the education of those children. The first one that spoke is a lawyer, the second one is a medical doctor, and they addressed the crowd in Edo South, Edo Central, and Edo North; and their mother was there,” he said.
Oshiomhole’s remarks have sparked widespread criticism
@HeartWithThanks on X said; “Obaseki’s wife found the APC candidate’s weak point while not covering hers. Now she has been hit below the belt…sad gbos gbas.
This reminds me of the UK Tory leadership election when Andrea Leadson implied insult on Theresa May’s Childlessness.🤔. Osho carried vuvuzela out!”
Another user @feyifrank said; “He should have just called out the rubbish she did and set the records straight without having to go into the gutter with her. Oshiomole fumbled on this one. This is way way below the belt but Obaseki’ s wife too carry Torchlight look for word!!
@OmanoE said; “This is despicable by Adam Oshiomhole. He needs to apologize to Mrs Obaseki and all those who struggled to have children but are unable to. Oshiomhole is JD Vance of Nigeria.
“One thing about going personal on political campaigns is that you can’t control it. Once you go that way, everything is out of control because it has no jurisdiction. Oshiomhole went below the belt here. But Mrs. Obaseki shouldn’t have triggered it. Stay on issues, not personal.”
@Uniquebabatunde called for Oshiomhole’s removal from the Senate, labelling his statements as demoralising.
Senate urged to sanction Oshiomhole
Women for Equality and Empowerment (WEE), a prominent gender advocacy group based in Lagos state, condemned Oshiomhole’s remarks as “disgraceful” and “insensitive,” calling for immediate sanctions from both the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Nigerian Senate.
Dr. Ngozi Afolabi, Chairperson of WEE, criticised Oshiomhole for his attack on Mrs Obaseki, stating, “It is appalling for a public figure of Senator Oshiomhole’s stature to engage in such disparaging comments. His statements are a setback for the progress we’ve made in promoting gender respect and equality in Nigeria.”
WEE has urged the APC to take decisive action, including formal reprimands and possible suspension from party activities, to demonstrate its commitment to gender equality.
The group also called on the Nigerian Senate to impose sanctions, stressing the importance of maintaining the integrity of legislative bodies by holding members accountable for their conduct.
“The Senate must send a clear message that such behaviour is not acceptable and stands firmly against discrimination and disrespect,” WEE stated.
The group warned that failing to address Oshiomhole’s remarks could undermine efforts to achieve gender equality in Nigeria, urging swift and decisive action to uphold principles of respect and dignity.