Christy Akingboye, widow of the late Bamidele Akingboye, former Social Democratic Party (SDP) governorship candidate in the November 2024 Ondo State election, has publicly refuted allegations that she had any role in her husband’s death.

Christy described the claims as cruel, false, and deliberately orchestrated to tarnish her and her children’s reputation. Speaking in Lagos, she opened up about her husband’s turbulent five-year struggle with mental health and the emotional toll it took on the family.

She said she stayed silent in the immediate aftermath of his death to protect his dignity, their children, and grandchildren, and to avoid stigmatizing him.

According to Christy, Bamidele was diagnosed with bipolar manic disorder in 2019, a condition that led to multiple episodes of severe mania, suicidal tendencies, and erratic behavior. She explained that the illness worsened under the pressure of political campaigns, mounting debts, and sleepless nights.

“He was my friend. I didn’t just lose a husband, I lost my better half,” she said, recalling a marriage marked by deep companionship.
“We went through two major episodes in 2019. My daughter even saved him from jumping off our balcony. Another time, in Dubai, the police had to take him to a psychiatric hospital.”

Christy detailed the family’s quiet battle, noting treatments across Lagos, Dubai, and Abuja, to protect her husband from public scrutiny. She described the late politician’s extremely high stress levels during and after political engagements, compounded by financial worries—debts running into hundreds of millions of naira.

She revealed that she initially chose not to disclose his suicide attempts publicly, including the fatal one, due to cultural stigma and to safeguard his political legacy:

“In our society, suicide is something people weaponize. I didn’t want my husband remembered that way.”

Christy said the trouble escalated when her stepson, Samuel Akingboye, accused her of causing his father’s death. She alleged that he resorted to blackmail, fabrications, and media attacks, even circulating doctored photographs suggesting domestic abuse. She displayed what she claimed were authentic mortuary photos, showing her husband without bruises, cuts, or injuries.

“My hands are clean. God knows the truth. I have nothing to hide. He was my friend. I fought for his life for years. His children saw the episodes; they know what happened. They all need therapy after this.”

Christy urged authorities to review her husband’s medical records and long-term mental health struggle, insisting that only a fair and thorough investigation can provide clarity and closure.