Joe Okei-Odumakin gives birth to twins, six months after husband’s death

Human rights activist, Joe Okei-Odumakin, has given birth to a set of twins, six months after the death of her husband, Yinka Odumakin, former national publicity secretary of Afenifere.

Okei-Odumakin announced this on Sunday in a statement posted on her social media handles.

She had the twins – a boy and a girl – on Wednesday last week at a hospital in the United States.

According to the 55-year-old, her late husband had expressed a strong desire to have another child, 18 years after their second child was born.

“The ‘miracle’ birth fulfilled the wishes of the late Odumakin towards the end of his sojourn on earth to have another baby to be named after him,” the statement said.

“The couple 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. The twins are coming 18 years after the last childbirth.”

Joe Okei-Odumakin, according to the statement, became pregnant just before her husband fell ill and was hospitalised.

Sadly, Yinka never got to hear the news of his wishes coming to pass.

“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, YO, as he is fondly called, developed a strong desire for him and his wife to have another baby.

“Thank God Joe did not dither or procrastinate as she took in just about the time YO took ill and never recovered.

“He had, however, prophetically left words concerning what the baby or babies should be called if his wishes materialised,” the statement added.

Yinka Odumakin died of COVID-19 complications on April 2 at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH).