ABUJA: Senator representing Delta North, Ned Nwoko, has denied claims by his estranged wife, Regina Daniels, that he married her when she was 17 years old, describing the allegation as false, misleading, and malicious.
In a statement shared across his social media platforms on Thursday, the lawmaker said the claims were part of a calculated attempt to tarnish his image amid ongoing marital issues between him and the Nollywood actress.
It has come to my attention that false claims are being circulated by Regina, suggesting that I married her when she was 17 years old. These claims are entirely untrue and misleading, Nwoko said.
According to him, during their first meeting, Regina presented an Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) voter’s card showing her date of birth as October 10, 1998, confirming that she was 21 years old at the time.
For clarity, when we first met, she told me she was 21 years old. I asked if she had any document to support this, and she presented her INEC voter’s card, which clearly shows her date of birth.
I informed her that I would keep the document, and I have done so since that day, he stated.
Nwoko added that their marriage took place six years ago and that by all verifiable records, Regina is currently 27 years old, making the claim that he married her as a teenager baseless.
Our marriage took place six years ago, which means Regina is 27 today. Any suggestion that I married her at 17 is false and should not be accepted by the public, he added.
The senator further alleged that his estranged wife’s comments were influenced by her current mental condition, claiming she had begun but failed to complete a rehabilitation programme for drug addiction.
The facts are verifiable and indisputable. Until this is done, I urge the public to treat all her claims with caution, especially in light of her current mental condition, having abandoned her rehabilitation from illegal drug addiction, Nwoko stated.
PUNCH Online earlier reported that Nwoko had accused a pull-down-Ned syndicate of exploiting his marital crisis to damage his reputation.
The public feud between Nwoko and Regina Daniels escalated on Sunday after the actress admitted to using illicit substances, alleging that her estranged husband introduced her to drugs for his sexual satisfaction an accusation Nwoko has denied.
The senator instead blamed Regina’s brother, Sammy Daniels, for introducing her to drugs and sabotaging efforts to get her rehabilitated.
He also linked the breakdown of their marriage to her current struggle with substance abuse.
Meanwhile, Regina’s brother, Sammy, was recently arrested in Lagos, transferred to Abuja, arraigned in court, and remanded in custody pending the fulfilment of his bail conditions.
Amid the family crisis, Regina shared online that her long-estranged parents had recently reconciled, a development she described as a silver lining during her personal turmoil.
