Okei-Odumakin delivers twins 6 months after husband’s death

Nigerian social crusader and widow of the late spokesperson of Afenifere, Yinka Odumakin, Joe Okei-Odumakin has given birth to twins – a boy and a girl – at a hospital in the United States of America on Wednesday.

Both mother and the babies are in excellent health condition. The ‘miracle’ birth fulfilled the wishes of the late Odumakin to have another baby to be named after him.

The couple who got married in 1997, had their first baby girl in 2000 and the second, a boy, in 2003. While the girl was named after Joe, the boy was named Abraham after the late Afenifere leader, Pa Abraham Adesanya.

However, the twins are coming 18 years after the birth of their last child.

After he survived a three-day coma in 2020 and a few months before he succumbed to the illness that eventually but unexpectedly claimed his life, Yinka, developed a strong desire for him and his wife to have another baby.However, it was gathered that Yinka never got to hear the news about his wife’s pregnancy before he died.

In a statement by his wife, her husband had left instructions for the name or names of the baby. The statement read in part, “He had, however, prophetically left words concerning what the baby or babies should be called if his wishes materialised.

“YO, as he is fondly called, was so accurate in his predictions that they could be twins (and their sex) that he gave the names of the babies and told me how he would raise them.

“While many may interpret this to mean that YO had a premonition about his death, it was only a strong desire expressed by him to have babies that he would dot over and who would possibly step into his “aluta” shoes. It’s a dream come true!”

Joe Okei-Odumakin is the president of the human rights groups, Women Arise for Change Initiative and the Campaign for Democracy. In 2013, Odumakin was presented an International Women of Courage Award from the United States Department of State. The award was made by Michelle Obama and John Kerry at the US State Department’s Dean Acheson Auditorium in celebration of International Women’s Day.