Wife of Edo State Governor, Betsy Obaseki, has replied former Edo State Governor and the Senator representing Edo North, Senator Adams Oshiomhole, saying that she is not barren but fruitful and proud mother of children that will come in God’s time.
Mrs Obaseki spoke on Saturday while reacting to a viral video in which Oshiomhole made remarks about her and her husband, Governor Godwin Obaseki, of being childless and refusal to adopt children from motherless homes.
Betsy Obaseki, who spoke during a zoom meeting with Edo women in the diaspora, in the company of Mrs Ifeyinwa Ighodalo, the wife of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, reminded women that everyone was created by God for a purpose.
Addressing over 200 women who joined the zoom meeting from various countries, Mrs Obaseki said, “I dare to call you fruitful. You and I are potential and proud mothers of children that will come in God’s time. Enjoy the life God has given you.
“My words of comfort to you, like myself, who have conceived and experienced miscarriages, painful stillbirths, and evacuations of babies who died in our wombs is that everyone was created by God for a purpose.
“And as a result, have no children to show for the pain we have endured; you are not barren.”
Betsy said that though ‘she is yet to have a child because she experienced miscarriages, painful stillbirths, she is fulfilled and happy to touch the lives of others
Mrs Obaseki also encouraged childless women to reframe their perceptions and regard themselves as veritable vessels of fruitfulness, replete with potential and proud mothers of progeny who shall arrive in the fullness of time, as ordained by the Divine Providence.
It is instructive to note that the war of words between Oshiomhole and Betsy Obaseki started when Betsy said that the PDP governorship candidate, Asue Ighodalo, is the only gubernatorial candidate who has a wife.
Betsy stated this during the PDP’s campaign flag-off at the Ubiaja Township Stadium in Esan South-East Local Government Area.
She introduced Ifeyinwa Ighodalo to the crowd, emphasising the importance of having a woman in the Government House.
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 only the Peoples Democratic Party’s candidate, Asue Ighodalo,” she added.
But faulting her comment on Saturday in a viral video, Oshiomhole said that ‘Mrs Obaseki is not in a position to remark on other’s marital status given that she and her husband do not have any kids’.
He stated that the All Progressives Congress, APC candidate, Monday Okpebholo, is married with two children.
Oshiomhole said, “ I was shocked yesterday to see Mrs. Obaseki, the first lady, saying that our candidate has no wife. She is the most…I’m sorry that she has to say that, because here is a woman who has no child. Between him and Obaseki, they have no child, they are childless.
“They are not even ready to adopt. I mean, I don’t blame anybody who should not have a child. But people who have love for children, they go to motherless homes and adopt children.
“They have not adopted, they are both in their 60s. So you married, I don’t know whether it’s a contract or whatever it is, but they have no child.
“Now our candidate not only have children, he has invested in the education of those children, such that you watch them on live television, covered by your media stations, where the first one that spoke is a lawyer, the second one is a medical doctor, and they had addressed the crowd in Edo South, in Edo Central, in Edo North, and their mother was there.”
