Fact-check: Was Governor Aiyedatiwa of Ondo involved in a fight with girlfriend in London?

Fact-check: Was Governor Aiyedatiwa of Ondo involved in a fight with girlfriend in London?

Claims have surfaced in a viral video circulating online and on social media platforms, including Facebook and X, purporting to show the current governor of Ondo State in a physical altercation with a young woman alleged to be his girlfriend.

The accompanying text reads, in part: “See Ondo State governor in London fighting with his side chick.

“These are people who suffocate our political space and aspire to positions of leadership in our dear country.  How can a sitting Governor degenerate to this gutter level…”

In the video, a woman can be heard screaming while a man says ‘W-e-re- wa lo rie’ in Yoruba, which means ‘there’s madness in your head.’

The video has generated reactions on social media, with some expressing disappointment and disbelief, saying “What a disgrace to Nigerians and their politicians. Can you believe this is Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, the APC Ondo state governor, fighting with a side chick in London?”

Ondo State (Ìpínlẹ̀ Oǹdó) is a state located in southwestern Nigeria. Established on February 3, 1976, it was formed from the former Western State. Commonly referred to as the “Sunshine State”, Ondo State is currently led by Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa.

On December 13, 2023, Lucky Aiyedatiwa became acting governor following the departure of Governor Rotimi Akeredolu on medical leave. He had previously served as acting governor from June to September 2023 when Akeredolu was on medical leave. He later became the substantive governor after the death of his predecessor, Rotimi Akeredolu, on December 27, 2023.

To verify the authenticity of this widely circulated video, PRNigeria‘s fact-check team conducted a reverse image and keyword search. Our investigation revealed that the trending claims emerged over the weekend and have since garnered significant viewership and been widely reposted.

However, PRNigeria‘s fact-check team found that the Ondo State government, through Comrade Allen Sowore, Esq., Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Strategic Communication, released a statement over the weekend.

The statement reads:

‘The circulation of a video showing a man engaging in a domestic scuffle with his spouse is a propaganda tactic to tarnish Governor Aiyedatiwa’s reputation.’

The SSA stated that as the Ondo State Governorship Election on November 16, 2024, nears, opposition parties, especially the PDP, are engaging in blackmail and spreading misinformation to tarnish Governor Aiyedatiwa’s reputation. The SSA emphasized that a man depicted in a video circulating as the governor is not Aiyedatiwa, highlighting differences such as facial features, dental characteristics, and the governor’s lack of experience working in the UK, which contradicts claims made in the video.

Further investigation revealed that the man in the video, who was claimed to be the Governor of Ondo, is actually a nurse with 18 years of practice in Dagenham, United Kingdom.

His female supervisor alleged that he was involved in a physical altercation with her. This video has now been decontextualized and is being exploited to blackmail the sitting Governor of Ondo State.

Conclusion: Investigations by PRNigeria fact-check team reveal distinct facial feature between the subject in the video and the Ondo state governor. Similarly, findings show that the subject is a nurse with about 18yrs of practice in the UK who was involved in an altercation with his female supervisor. 

PRNigeria therefore concludes that the claim thar Governor Aiyedatiwa of Ondo State was involved in a physical altercation with a  girlfriend in London is FALSE.

By PRNigeria