Politics
Political polygamy: Govs’ spouses battle for First Lady role
- /home/naijuinz/public_html/wp-content/plugins/mvp-social-buttons/mvp-social-buttons.php on line 27
https://naijablitznews.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Ademola-Adeleke.jpg&description=Political polygamy: Govs’ spouses battle for First Lady role', 'pinterestShare', 'width=750,height=350'); return false;" title="Pin This Post">
- Share
- Tweet /home/naijuinz/public_html/wp-content/plugins/mvp-social-buttons/mvp-social-buttons.php on line 72
https://naijablitznews.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Ademola-Adeleke.jpg&description=Political polygamy: Govs’ spouses battle for First Lady role', 'pinterestShare', 'width=750,height=350'); return false;" title="Pin This Post">
VICTOR AYENI examines how the office of the First Lady in Nigeria, created by many governors, has become a hotly coveted title among some state governors who have more than one wife, as the rivalry between their wives spills into the public space
In a not-too-subtle competition for influence, Titilola and Ngozi, the two wives of the Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, locked horns, each claiming to be the First Lady of the state.
Titilola, reputed to be the governor’s first wife, proudly bears the traditional title of Yeye Soludero of Ila Orangun in Osun State. She was honoured with the NET Ambassador award in 2023.
The governor’s other wife, Ngozi, from Dimorji Obokwe Mbieri in Imo State, was named the Face of Adire by former president Olusegun Obasanjo. She also recently received the United Nations Peace Ambassador award.
On April 22, 2024, two viral photos of the posters bearing the photos of the wives of the governor welcoming Nigeria’s First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, to the state went viral on social media.
Senator Tinubu was billed to be in Osogbo, the state capital, the next day for the inauguration of the Alternative High School for Girls at Oke D.O, Ilesha Road.
The inscription on the poster bearing Ngozi’s photo read, “Welcome to the State of Living Spring. Experience the beauty of Osun State’s landscape,” and was signed off with her name as First Lady of the state.
In a separate poster, Titilola also welcomed Mrs Tinubu to the “Official turning of the sod ceremony of the Alternative High School for Girls at Oke D.O, Ilesha Road, Osogbo” signed off as First Lady of the state.
Checks by our correspondent showed that Ngozi and Titilola have the title “First Lady” clearly written on their X (formerly Twitter) bios, with the former conspicuously including the title in her X name.
Netizens differ
As the two fliers by Adeleke’s wives went viral, many social media users described the situation as confusing, while others lauded the First Lady title taken by both women.
A Facebook user, Anthony Alfred, wrote, “There’s nothing like first ladies in one family. The first wife is the first lady and the second wife is the second lady like that till the 700th lady or more. Moreover, when a man marries more than one wife, the office of the First Lady should be scrapped because of limited state resources.
Another Facebook user, OgoAdulawo, wrote, “Traditionally. In Yoruba culture, it is customary for the first wife to hold a position of authority over the other wives. As a result, the first wife is recognised as the foremost lady of Osun State, unless the governor intentionally designates a different individual for the title.
“It is worth noting that this cultural practice is deeply rooted within the social fabric of the Yoruba people and has been upheld for generations. Thus, it is important to acknowledge and respect this tradition’s significance and impact on the Yoruba culture.”
On his part, another netizen, Sirajudeen Abdulazeez, noted that the issue of a governor having more than one wife had never been an issue, so the two fliers inviting Senator Tinubu was not a problem.
“If the governor has more than one as is common with most sane African men then they are all first ladies. This has never been an issue in the country.
“Most northern governors have more than one wife and it has never generated any controversy. Besides, the Osun people are not complaining. Let’s do responsible and issue-based journalism. The women have not said they are fighting or competing. They are both first ladies.”
But another X user, Aderemi Bukola, said there were no constitutional provisions for the office of the first lady, so any political office holder could have as many first ladies as possible.
“One is only good to prevent confusion and scandals,” Bukola.
Flier bearing Ngozi’s photo fake – Gov’s aide
Following the controversy that greeted the two fliers, Governor Ademola Adeleke, through his spokesman, Mallam Olawale Rasheed, disowned the flier which purportedly came from the office of Mrs Ngozi.
Rasheed, in a statement on Monday (April 22, 2024), explained that Titilola was the First Lady, and would be the one to receive Tinubu’s wife during the visit.
He said, “The attention of Mr Governor has been drawn to fake news in circulation about conflict over who among the governor’s two wives is to host the First Lady of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, on her official visit to the state tomorrow (Tuesday, April 23, 2024)
“For clarification, Chief (Mrs) Titilola Adeleke, the First Lady of Osun, is officially hosting the First Lady of the republic tomorrow in line with the directive of Mr Governor; there is no confusion on this official position.”
The governor’s aide further stated that the mastermind of the fake flier had been arrested.
“The flier circulating purportedly from the office of Erelu Ngozi Adeleke, the wife of the state governor, is fake news and the person behind it was nabbed and questioned last night.
“The said flier was never authorised by Erelu Ngozi Adeleke. The material was manufactured and shared by elements who wanted to sow discord and create an atmosphere of confusion,” he added.
Mrs Tinubu, Ooni recognise Osun ‘first ladies’
But the President’s wife, while speaking at the event, recognised the governor’s wives as first ladies.
“Let me also reiterate that Osun State was chosen as the location for this school through a transparent and unbiased raffle draw process at a strategic meeting with the state first ladies. So, rest assured that the siting of this school here in Osogbo, emanated from a fair process and it is a divinely guided one,” Mrs Tinubu said.
In his remarks, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi, also acknowledged the role played by the governor’s wives in being a driving force behind the government.
“We will wait for you (Tinubu) over and over again for us to give you that honour. It’s very obvious that you are a unifier in this country; we can see all our first ladies behind our powerful political leaders, they are all sitting here, very gentle and amiable, they are the driving force behind all these political leaders that we are,” the monarch stated.
Adeleke’s wives not alone
Findings by Sunday PUNCH revealed that several state governors, aside from Adeleke, have more than one wife, but some of whom jointly lay claim to the title of the First Lady.
Kebbi State Governor, Nasir Idris, is married to two wives, Zainab and Nafisa, who not only jointly run the office of the First Lady of the state, but also oversee two separate non-governmental agencies.
The Katsina State Governor, Dikko Radda, has two wives, Zulaihat and Fatima. Zulaihat is reputed to be the state’s First Lady while Fatima has the term, “Wife of the Executive Governor” written on her official Instagram and X profiles.
However, our correspondent sighted several pages and videos on different websites where the title of “First Lady” was used for the governor’s second wife, Fatima.
Gombe State Governor, Muhammad Yahaya, also has two wives – Asmau and Amina. Only Asmau is known as the official First Lady of the state.
Also included is the Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, who is married to Aishatu and Mariana. His first wife is officially recognised as the state’s First Lady.
Conversely, the Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf, who has two wives – Mariam and Zainab –stated that his wives “will not be part of the governance” and has not recognised either of them as First Lady.
An X user, MS Ingawa, who claimed to have personally met Radda’s two wives, wrote, “It’s actually funny for people to waste their energy on (an) office with no constitutional mandate to the extent that we measure the governor’s competence or ability based on the selection of the First Lady.
“The office is at the discretion of the elected governor who may choose to officially recognise it or not. Recognised or not, the wife (wives) of the governor will play almost (the) same role.
Ingawa said there had been governors in Nigeria whose wives were not known to the public.
“Some have more than one and nobody cares to know about them or even fight for the office on their behalf. It’s different in Katsina because all the two wives have a media presence. People tend to discuss more about what they see every day.”
Speaking with Sunday PUNCH, a lawyer, Segun Oladejo, explained that the title had no constitutional backing but had been merely recognised due to its usage over the years.
“The office of the First Lady of the federation or the state doesn’t enjoy constitutional favour. It became recognised as a result of continuous and long usage by different administrations over the years.
“Coming on the stride of anti-corruption in 2015, (Former president, Muhammadu) Buhari, stated that he won’t have the office because it’s not recognised but we all know what became of it as Aisha used it to the fullest. There can only be one person occupying the office,” Oladejo said.
The Social Democratic Party has picked a former Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, as its candidate for the 2027 Nasarawa State governorship election.
Adamu emerged during a substitution primary held on Saturday in Lafia, the state capital, following the withdrawal of the party’s previously listed candidate, Musa Angba.
The Independent National Electoral Commission had listed Angba as the SDP’s governorship candidate for the state before his withdrawal paved the way for the substitution.
Declaring the result, the Chairman of the SDP Electoral Committee for Nasarawa State, Joseph Achille, said the primary was conducted across the state’s 13 local government areas.
Achille said 28,637 delegates participated in the exercise, adding that the votes cast at the ward level were duly collated.
“Sitting before you today to conduct this election. As you are all aware, we have a sole candidate for the office of governor, SDP, Nasarawa State,” he told the delegates.
He subsequently declared Adamu the winner after the former police chief secured the highest number of valid votes.
“Having scored the total votes peacefully and lawfully, it gives me singular privilege, by the powers conferred on me by the National Executive Committee and the National Working Committee, to declare the result that Mohammed Abubakar Adamu scored the highest lawful valid votes.
“Subsequently, he is declared, returned, and elected as the candidate and flag-bearer of the Social Democratic Party for Nasarawa State,” Achille said.
He described the exercise as free, fair and credible before inviting Adamu to deliver his acceptance speech.
The former IG thanked the party for conducting the primary and pledged to work towards improving the state if elected in 2027.
“I am delighted that the primaries have been conducted. I’m also delighted that we have been declared the winner. My family and the people of Nasarawa State are delighted that this primary has been conducted, and we have been declared winners,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Director of Media and Strategic Communications of the Adamu Campaign Organisation, Otaru Douglas, said the former police chief’s affirmation had ended what he described as speculation over the SDP ticket.
In a statement issued after the exercise, Douglas claimed the turnout and unanimous support for Adamu demonstrated the party’s unity ahead of the election.
“The people have shown uncommon resilience and commitment to changing the governance narrative of our dear state. They have rejected politics of intimidation and inducement and have chosen competence, experience, integrity and proven leadership,” he said.
Presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has challenged President Bola Tinubu to open up his records for public scrutiny, just as he has done, insisting that the renewed circulation of decades-old allegations against him is a distraction from the president’s own reluctance to submit to similar examination.
In a statement issued on Friday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, the former vice president, described the resurfacing of allegations rooted in the political battles of the President Olusegun Obasanjo era as the convulsion of political opponents cornered by their own failures, unable to defend the hardship Nigerians are enduring and now desperately searching for an Atiku controversy because they cannot survive scrutiny of their own economic record.
“At some point, desperation announces itself. When those defending this government can no longer explain why food, transportation, electricity, rent, education, insecurity and healthcare are increasingly beyond the reach of ordinary families, they rummage through twenty-year-old files looking for an escape route. This is panic dressed up as accountability,” the statement read.
Atiku maintained that the allegations had already been tested through the full machinery of the state during his political disagreement with the Obasanjo administration, and none resulted in a conviction. “Let us not rewrite history. The Obasanjo administration did not protect me. At the height of our political disagreement, these matters travelled through the EFCC, an administrative panel, the National Assembly and the courts. The machinery of the state was fully deployed, and the political hostility was public. Yet no court convicted me on these allegations. That is the record.”
He questioned what new evidence had emerged to justify reviving the allegations nearly two decades later.
According to him, “A petition is not a conviction, an acknowledgement stamp is not evidence of guilt, and repetition cannot magically become a judgment of court.” Anyone with credible evidence against me should bring it out and test it before the law. I have issued that challenge before, and I repeat it today without hesitation.”
Drawing a contrast with the President, Atiku pointed to Tinubu’s intervention in an American court case seeking the release of FBI and Drug Enforcement Administration DEA records concerning him.
“While I am saying, ‘bring out your evidence,’ Tinubu actually went to an American court to intervene in a case seeking FBI and DEA records concerning him, citing privacy interests in records he argued should not be disclosed. It is like a man ordering his neighbour to empty his pockets while keeping his own firmly zipped.
A man seeking protection for his own records has no business waving petitions at somebody else. My challenge is simple: let every lawful record be opened and every allegation tested. Let Nigerians see who welcomes scrutiny and who reaches for privacy arguments when the files concern him,” he said.
He argued, however, that the exchange of allegations does little to address the everyday economic struggles of Nigerians.
Atiku also cautioned against the use of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC as a tool for political battles, stressing that the agency belongs to the country and not to any individual or party.
He said no amount of recycled allegations could substitute for governance that improves the lives of ordinary Nigerians.
According to him, the coming elections would ultimately be decided on record and performance, not on old political battles. “The old script did not stop me then, and it will not stop me now. In 2027, Nigerians will judge us by our records, the lives they are living and the future we offer them. Those afraid of that judgment may continue rummaging through the archives. We are facing the Nigerian people.”
The African Democratic Congress has unveiled its governorship and deputy governorship candidates for the 2027 general elections in 28 states, including former presidential aide Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour in Lagos, former Kaduna State governorship candidate Isa Ashiru and former Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami.
The party also fielded former Delta State governorship candidate Great Ogboru, Senator Ahmad Babba Kaita in Katsina.
The candidates were announced in a statement on Friday, with the party saying they would carry its banner and commitment to providing Nigerians with credible leadership and a “real alternative” in the 2027 elections.
A release by the party’s spokesperson, Bolaji Abdullahi also shared on X disclosed this.
Other notable candidates include Senator Halliru Dauda Jika in Bauchi, former House of Representatives member Herman Iorwase Hembe in Benue, former House of Representatives member Zakari Mohammed in Kwara and former Nigerian Army officer Brigadier General John Sunday Sura in Plateau.
The party also fielded candidates in Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Borno, Cross River, Ebonyi, Enugu, Gombe, Jigawa, Kano, Nasarawa, Niger, Ogun, Oyo, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe and Zamfara.
In Lagos, Rhodes-Vivour will contest the governorship with Gbadamosi Babatunde Olalere as his running mate, while Ashiru will fly the party’s ticket in Kaduna alongside Kantiok Irmiya Ishaku.
Ogboru is paired with Afiari Gloria in Delta, while Kaita will contest in Katsina with Aminu Yar’adua Ahmed as his running mate.
In Kebbi, Malami will contest alongside Zagi Musa Mohammed.
The ADC said the candidates represented its commitment to offering Nigerians an alternative ahead of the 2027 elections.
ADC unveiled the candidates ahead of the February 6, 2027 governorship elections.
Also, governorship campaigns are scheduled to begin on September 9, 2026.
Here is the full list:
ADC governor & deputy governor candidates
Abia: Governor – Kalu Kalu Agu; Deputy Governor – Alozie Ogidimma Darlington.
Adamawa: Governor – Modibbo Hammantukur Ribadu; Deputy Governor – Aguwa Kevin Iliya.
Akwa Ibom: Governor – Akpanudoedehe John James; Deputy Governor – Nsien Mkpombuk Tommy.
Bauchi: Governor – Sen. Halliru Dauda Jika; Deputy Governor – Sama’ila Mohammed Kabir.
Benue: Governor – Rt. Hon. Herman Iorwase Hembe; Deputy Governor – Abba John Abba.
Borno: Governor – Babagana Buhari; Deputy Governor – Mamman Dauda.
Cross River: Governor – Nkoyo Toyo; Deputy Governor – Okwoche Andrew Adagbor.
Delta: Governor – Chief Great Ogboru; Deputy Governor – Afiari Gloria.
Ebonyi: Governor – Ukpai Mba Udeh; Deputy Governor – Onwe Daniel Ede.
Enugu: Governor – Ocho Obodoze Chukwuma; Deputy Governor – Eze Arinze Christopher.
Gombe: Governor – Bala Bello; Deputy Governor – Bala Sani Isa.
Jigawa: Governor – Sabo Mohammed Nakudu; Deputy Governor – Musa Ya’u Balarabe.
Kaduna: Governor – Isa Mohammed Ashiru; Deputy Governor – Kantiok Irmiya Ishaku.
Kano: Governor – Ibrahim Ali Amin; Deputy Governor – Shehu Abdulkadir Bari.
Kastina: Governor – Sen. Ahmad Babba Kaita; Deputy Governor – Aminu Yar’adua Ahmed.
Kebbi: Governor – Abubakar Malami; Deputy Governor – Zagi Musa Mohammed.
Kwara: Governor – Zakari Mohammed; Deputy Governor – Olawuyi Julius Olayide.
Lagos State: Governor – Gbadebo Rhodes Vivour; Deputy Governor – Gbadamosi Babatunde Olalere.
Nasarawa: Nuhu Angbazo — Governor; Ahmed Yusuf — Deputy Governor
Niger: Dr. Mohammed Kpautagi — Governor; Musa Mamman — Deputy Governor
Ogun: Biodun Collins Ogundipe — Governor; Muraina Oluwaranti Oluyemi — Deputy Governor
Oyo: Taofeek Adegboyega Adegoke — Governor; Wahab Adeniyi — Deputy Governor
Plateau: Brig. Gen. John Sunday Sura — Governor; Pwajok-Kele Chundung Bitrus — Deputy Governor
Rivers: Gabriel Pidomson — Governor; Okumgba David Amapakaye — Deputy Governor
Sokoto: Manir Mohammad Daniya — Governor; Isah Bello Ambarura — Deputy Governor
Taraba: Abubakar Umar Tutare — Governor; Kwetishe Haruna Kwenyan — Deputy Governor
Yobe: Kassim G. Gaidam — Governor; Kori Lawan Mohammed — Deputy Governor
Zamfara: Shinkafi Bilyaminu Yusuf — Governor; Muhammad Abdulmuddalib Auwal — Deputy Governor
2027 Presidency: No Candidate, Including Peter Obi, Can Fix Nigeria — Datti
Awujale throne: Fusengbuwa ruling house insists it remains united, alleges sabotage
Death Be Not Proud: Publisher Dotun Oladipo and the Tolling Bell
-
Economy12 hours agoFG Can’t Account For ₦33.75 Billion Cash Transfers To Vulnerable Nigerians – Auditor-General
-
News12 hours ago2027: Amaechi Chose Buhari Over Jonathan, We’ll Pay Him Back – Wike
-
News21 hours agoMoroccan Wife Has Been Away From Me for 11 Months — Husband Accuses Sheikh Gumi
-
Foreign23 hours agoUK updates list of employers allowed to sponsor Nigerian, other foreign workers
-
News12 hours agoAt 71, Nigerian Man Enrolls at UI Law School: Here Is Why He Did It
-
News5 hours ago₦33.75bn cash transfer funds: Atiku promises to dig deep into missing money
-
Economy12 hours agoDetails Of What You Should Know About Dangote Refinery Shares, Price, IPO Date And How To Buy
-
News22 hours agoWatch Wike delivering his speech at civic reception held in his honour today
Warning: Undefined variable $user_ID in /home/naijuinz/public_html/wp-content/themes/zox-news/comments.php on line 49
You must be logged in to post a comment Login