‘‘Her mother personally brought her to me; I married Regina Daniels honourably at 19’’ – Ned Nwoko

Senator Ned Nwoko, who represents the Delta North Senatorial District, has reacted to the ongoing controversies surrounding his six-year marriage to Nollywood star Regina Daniels.

Mr Nwoko said he decided to speak up to address the ongoing age controversy surrounding his marriage and what he described as a coordinated campaign of political blackmail against him. He alleged that a “syndicate of pull-down” individuals was exploiting his wife’s vulnerability to smear his name and damage his political reputation.

“For clarity, Regina Daniels was born on October 10, 2000. If she has been married for six years, that means she got married at 19 years old, not 17. The public witnessed her family giving her away in marriage, and there were witnesses to the fact that her mother personally brought her to me. I never went after her,” Mr Nwoko said in a statement released by his Communication and Technical Action Team and made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Abuja.

Drug abuse admittance

The senator said it was on record that Regina had admitted to substance use and bipolar medication, noting that her medical records were verifiable.

“Enemies of progress are now manipulating her to achieve their aims. If she had any secrets to reveal, she would have done so. All the current stories being circulated are fabricated and amount to criminal defamation,” he said.

Re-emphasising that his marriage followed the traditional process, Mr Nwoko said: “Our customs and traditions do not frown upon polygamy. What I did was to marry her honourably, give her a name, and treat her with dignity.”

The senator maintained that his affection for Regina was genuine and well known.

“My world revolved around Regina. I pampered her and cared for her deeply, something everyone who has worked with me across Delta, Abuja, and beyond can testify to,” he said.

Mr Nwoko described the controversy as politically motivated, aimed at tarnishing his image and halting his developmental work.

“My decision to marry her properly according to tradition is now being twisted into a tool for political blackmail. This witch-hunt has been ongoing for years, an attempt to stop my developmental strides and discredit me now that I am a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” he said.

Alleged land grabbing

He also stated that he had legally acquired land to establish the University of Sports, noting that the project now serves the community.

“Beyond this, the talk about me grabbing land in my hometown is false and unfortunate. The truth is that I was allocated a piece of land for which I made a genuine offer of payment to establish the University of Sports, a project that exists today and serves the community.

‘‘The manner with which people like Omoyele Sowore and Jebose, who have hunted me for years, are now using the situation to criminalise me in the international community shows a coordinated gang-up against me,” he added.

He described the attacks as a regrouping of individuals taking advantage of “a young woman who is unwell and has admitted to using drugs.”

“Those exploiting her present condition to settle old scores, knowing they have no case against me, will eventually face justice. If by now she has not brought up any credible allegation against me, it means there is nothing illegal about me except that I want her to seek help for rehabilitation,” he added.

(Premium Times)