Ned Nwoko Denies Marrying Regina Daniels at 17, Shows Voter Card as Proof

The politician's new account conflicts with a statement he released earlier in the week, and follows Mr Sowore's claim that the same...

The politician's new account conflicts with a statement he released earlier in the week, and follows Mr Sowore's claim that the same voter card was fake to conceal her age.

Senator Ned Nwoko has refuted activist Omoyele Sowore's assertion that he wed Regina Daniels when he was 17, maintaining that the statement is untrue and providing her voter ID as proof.

Nevertheless, the legislator's recent defense conflicts with a statement he issued on Monday, in which he mentioned that the actress, whom he asserted was born on 10 October 2000, married him when she was 19.

In the Monday statement, released by his Communications and Technical Action Team and shared through the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), and publishedby PREMIUM TIMES, Mr Nwoko stated that "the public saw her family hand her over in marriage".

It somewhat states: "For clarity, Regina Daniels was born on October 10, 2000. If she has been married for six years, that indicates she married at 19, not 17. The public saw her family giving her away in marriage, and there were people who confirmed that her mother personally took her to me. I never pursued her."

Conflicting birth dates

But on Thursday, in aFacebook postOn his official account, he changed his profile, stating that Regina mentioned she was 21 at their first meeting, and her voter ID verified her birth year as 1998.

He also stated, "I have also witnessed a" BBC interviewwhere her mother approved after our marriage concerning her age.

In a newly discovered BBC interview, Rita Daniels, Regina's mother, stated that her daughter was almost 20 years old when she got married and supported Regina's choice to wed at a young age.

The contradictory stories have increased attention on Regina's age at the time of her marriage, particularly after the actressrevealedthat the 64-year-old politician wed her when she was 17.

Her statement was made while replying to Mr. Nwoko's previous commentsclaimThat her family exposed her to drugs and undermined his attempts to provide her with assistance. Her disclosure triggered extensive online discussion, with numerous Nigerians, including Mr Sowore, demanding an inquiry and labeling the supposed marriage to a minor as a criminal offense.

Sowore claims the utilization of counterfeit papers

The dispute intensified on Wednesday after Mr. Sowore, the 2023 presidential candidate for the African Action Congress (AAC), presented what he called new proof backing his assertion that Regina was 17 when the marriage took place.

He claimed that Mr. Nwoko utilized a counterfeit Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) voter card to hide her actual age and modified her official records, such as her name, to mask her identity.

The publisher of The Sahara Reporters stated: "New evidence shows that Senator Ned Nwoko traveled abroad with Regina Daniels while she was still underage. Documents reveal that she was born in October 2001, and their wedding occurred in May 2019, when she was 17 years old."

He also claimed that Mr. Nwoko altered her name from Regina Nneamaka Favour Ojeogwu to Regina Daniels and exposed her to drugs "in order for him to sexually assault her."

Mr. Sowore stated that the couple visited Jordan, the UAE, and Egypt with a passport indicating her minor status, while steering clear of the UK, US, and certain European regions "because he was aware of the consequences."

'Violation of the law'

As per Mr Sowore, the accusations bring up significant legal and ethical issues that must not be overlooked. He emphasized that the current facts indicate a violation of both moral and legal limits.

"Regardless of influence or political authority, no individual should be exempt from responsibility in cases of such serious matters. Senator Ned Nwoko is completely vulnerable now," he wrote.

He further claimed that a letter requesting his arrest was sent to the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, which he called absurd and an effort to frighten him.

"Rather than confronting his wrongdoings, Ned is following the usual pattern of men in his position, employing wealth, power, and the dysfunctional system of the Nigerian Police Force to suppress those who reveal him," he added.

Nwoko claims the accusation is "false and misleading"

On Thursday, Mr. Nwoko responded via a Facebook post, rejecting the claims made by both Regina and Mr. Sowore as untrue.

He presented what he claimed was Regina's INEC voter card, asserting that it confirms she was born on 10 October 1998 and therefore could not have been 17 at the time of their marriage.

"Those statements are completely false and deceptive," he wrote.

During my initial meeting with Regina, I inquired about her age, and she informed me that she was 21. She showed me her voter's card as proof, which I have retained ever since.

He claimed that "all verifiable records" show their marriage took place six years ago, making Regina 27 instead of 25, which contradicts his previous statement on Monday stating her birth year as 2000.

Mr. Nwoko advised the public to approach Regina's statements "with care," referencing what he characterized as her fragile psychological condition and ongoing recovery journey.

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