By Abiola Olawale
In a dramatic turn of events, Nigerian billionaire and Senator Ned Nwoko has alleged that his unnamed “enemies” are exploiting his marital crisis with popular actress Regina Daniels as a tool for blackmail.
The development comes amid allegations and counter-allegations between Nwoko, the lawmaker representing the Delta North senatorial district of Delta State in the Senate.
While Daniels had accused Nwoko of sexual assault, the lawmaker had dismissed the allegations, claiming that the actress is allegedly abusing drugs.
Speaking further on the matter, Nwoko, in a statement issued by the Communication/Technical Action Team of the Senator’s Office and made available to journalists in Abuja on Monday, said individuals who have targeted him for years were now using the situation to criminalise him before the international community, describing it as a “coordinated gang-up.”
“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.
“Unfortunately, anyone who seeks progress in our society is often attacked and torn down by their own people. That is the sad difference between us and other ethnic groups,” he said.
Nwoko further alleged that certain individuals were exploiting “a young woman who is unwell and has admitted to using drugs.”
“The facts are there. Those exploiting her present condition to settle old scores, knowing they have no case against me, will eventually face justice. They must also be careful with the defamatory statements they continue to make because they will be required to prove them.
“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 — a condition that existed long before our marriage.”
The lawmaker maintained that it was on record that Regina had a history of substance use, which could be verified through medical records and in court.
“The whole world has read her own accounts of substance use, and her former schoolmates have testified online that she and her sister dropped out of school because of drug-related issues.
“Yet some people keep pushing this false narrative to damage my reputation. She openly admitted to using drugs and said she was on bipolar medication. Her medical records are verifiable, but the enemies of progress are now manipulating her to achieve their aims. If she had any secrets to reveal, she would have done so. She has nothing,” Nwoko said.
He added that all the current stories being circulated were fabricated and amount to criminal defamation, “and those behind this smear campaign will have their day to prove their claims.”
On the public controversy surrounding the timeline of his marriage to Regina Daniels, Nwoko said, “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 out in marriage, and her mother personally brought her to me. 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.”
He added that their marriage had always been public and transparent.
“Beyond the social media lifestyle, 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. It is, therefore, disheartening to read all this filth being spread online. As the saying goes, when a wall cracks, the lizard finds its way in. Regina has become a weak point through which my political and personal enemies are attacking me. My decision to marry her properly according to tradition is now being twisted into a tool for political blackmail. This is a witch-hunt that has been ongoing for years — an attempt to stop my developmental strides and tarnish me now that I am a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
