Ned Nwoko Refutes Claims He Married Regina Daniels at 17, Presents Voter Card as Evidence
Senator Ned Nwoko has strongly denied allegations that he married actress Regina Daniels when she was 17, presenting her Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) voter card to assert that the claim is false. His response comes after activist Omoyele Sowore accused him of marrying Daniels as a minor and using falsified documents to conceal her age.
The controversy began when Regina Daniels revealed that she was 17 at the time of her marriage to the 64-year-old senator. Sowore amplified the claims, suggesting that Nwoko altered her official records, including her name, and used a fake voter card to facilitate travel abroad while she was underage. Sowore also alleged that Nwoko introduced Daniels to drugs to coerce her, citing trips to Jordan, the UAE, and Egypt as evidence, while avoiding Western countries due to potential legal consequences.
On Monday, Nwoko’s Communication and Technical Action Team released a statement through the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), published by PREMIUM TIMES, asserting that Daniels was born on 10 October 2000, which would have made her 19 at the time of the wedding. The statement claimed that her family publicly gave her away in marriage and that witnesses were present during the ceremony.
However, on Thursday, the senator presented a revised account on his official Facebook page, stating that Daniels had told him she was 21 when they first met and that her voter card confirms her birth year as 1998. He further cited a BBC interview in which Daniels’ mother, Rita Daniels, indicated her daughter was nearly 20 at the time of the marriage and defended her decision to marry young.
Sharing the voter card, Nwoko emphasized that all verifiable records support his claim, arguing that the marriage occurred six years ago, which would make Daniels 27, not 25, contradicting earlier reports and her recent statements. He dismissed Sowore’s allegations as “false and misleading” and urged the public to treat Daniels’ claims with caution, citing what he described as her ongoing mental health and rehabilitation concerns.
The ongoing dispute has drawn significant public attention, sparking debates about legal and ethical implications, the responsibilities of public figures, and the verification of personal records in high-profile relationships. Sowore, who is also the publisher of Sahara Reporters, has called for accountability, insisting that influence or political power should not shield anyone from investigation when serious allegations involve minors.
As the controversy continues, the conflicting accounts over Daniels’ age and the circumstances of her marriage have kept the issue in the spotlight, with social media users and Nigerians at large weighing in on the debate.
