Governor Aiyedatiwa’s Elder Brother Accused Of Biting Monarch’s Ear During Public Event

Dayo Aiyedatiwa, elder brother of Ondo State Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has been accused of physically assaulting the Olu of Igbokoda, His Royal Majesty Oba Afolabi Odidiomo, during an official flag-off ceremony in Ilaje Local Government Area.

The incident reportedly took place on Monday at “Zero Zero,” the council’s headquarters in Igbokoda, during a public function attended by traditional rulers and other dignitaries.

In an interview with SaharaReporters, Oba Afolabi recounted the alleged attack and the events leading up to it.

The monarch explained that, as the chief host in his community, he had welcomed each arriving monarch personally and ensured they were seated. Eventually, all seats were occupied.

He stated, “Each time a new monarch arrived, I stood up, made room for them, and looked for another place to sit. I felt it was my responsibility to ensure all traditional rulers were comfortable in my hometown.”

According to him, trouble began when Dayo Aiyedatiwa arrived and attempted to sit directly in front of the table where traditional rulers were seated.

“I approached him and politely said, ‘Please, sir, where you are sitting is not appropriate. You are sitting in front of kings,’” the monarch said.

Oba Afolabi claimed that Dayo retorted, “Do you know who you are talking to?”

The monarch continued, “God knows I didn’t know him. I didn’t need to know who he was before telling him that the seat he was occupying was inappropriate.

“If I, as the monarch, should look at where he’s sitting, I would ask myself—does that seat befit him? The people seated behind him were kings, and Dayo was not one of them.”

He alleged that Dayo then uttered a curse: “He said it would not be well with me. God is my witness—if I am lying against him, may I not wake up if I sleep tonight.”

The monarch said he was taken aback and asked Dayo, “What did you just say?”

“He repeated it—he said it would not be well with me. I pointed at him and asked, ‘Am I the one you’re saying it should not be well with? Is that acceptable?’”

According to Oba Afolabi, he responded with his own words: “When you wake up in the morning and gather your fruits in the afternoon, in the night, it will not be well with you. You will not enjoy the fruit of your labour.”

He alleged that Dayo then attempted to physically attack him: “He jumped up and tried to lift me. I’m sure if he had succeeded, he would have slammed me to the floor. But I made it impossible for him to carry me. When he saw he couldn’t lift me, he used one hand to release me and bent my head to the side—towards my ear. That was when I gave him a shoulder. I hit him with my shoulder. He staggered a bit and let go of my ear.”

The monarch further explained that Dayo was holding a walking stick.

“I know that type of walking stick usually has a sword hidden inside. So someone who could bite me might also use a sword. So the first thing I did as he staggered away was to take the stick from him,” he said.

He said he noticed blood dripping from his ear and reacted by striking Dayo with the stick.

“And I felt it was embarrassing,” he said, adding, “People started coming to me, saying, ‘That’s the elder brother of the governor.’ And then I came home.”

The monarch noted that several individuals, including another sibling of the governor, had reached out to him, pleading for calm.

“They’ve been begging me, everybody,” he said.

He expressed concern for the governor, saying the incident could reflect poorly on him, even though he had no involvement.

“Those who tried to provoke me into saying all sorts of things—I ignored them,” the monarch stated. “My brother, I can forward a picture of my ears to you.”

Oba Afolabi said he initially avoided speaking to the press to prevent further embarrassment and out of concern for the governor’s reputation.

“Speaking now does not erase the embarrassment, the pain, and the dent on my reputation,” he said. “The person involved is the governor’s eldest brother—same father, same mother. And I feel publicising this issue further could damage the governor’s image. But I have now chosen to speak out for two reasons.”

He said he was compelled to speak up after a report by Roving Reporters misrepresented the event.

“There is a report… which claimed that I was attacked because I arrived late to a function, after everyone had already taken their seats,” he said. “They claimed I went to meet a community leader, whose name they could not provide, and was then attacked.”

The monarch described the article as a deliberate distortion of facts.

“The reporter even used an old photo from 2017, presenting it as an image of the alleged attack,” he said.

He noted that the same article called for his suspension, a thorough investigation, and even his potential dethronement.

Oba Afolabi expressed his faith in the traditional system to address the situation: “I want the traditional rulers and all people of good conscience to look into the incident and do what is right—what must be done.”

He stressed the spiritual weight of the attack: “As far as I’m concerned, traditionally, it is forbidden for my blood to spill and touch the ground. And as I speak to you, traditional rites concerning that have already commenced.”

The monarch confirmed that the rites began the previous night and will continue for three days. He also appealed for peace, revealing that youths had gathered in protest but he had asked them to stand down.

“I don’t want any noise about it, for my sake and the sake of the government,” he said.

Efforts by SaharaReporters to contact Dayo Aiyedatiwa for comment were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report.