Former Benue State Governor and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, has married Queen Zaynab Ngohemba-George, the former wife of the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi.
The marriage, which had been kept away from public glare, came into the open on Friday following a celebratory post by a member of the Akume Dajoh family, Abraham Double-D Dajoh, on Facebook.
In the post, the family announced the union and formally welcomed the bride into the Dajoh family of Mbakor, Benue State. The statement described Zaynab as an “uncommon wife” and expressed gratitude to friends, supporters and well-wishers of the former governor for their goodwill, while also extending seasonal greetings to Nigerians.
Photographs accompanying the post, showing Queen Zaynab alongside members of the Akume family, quickly gained traction online, triggering widespread reactions across social media platforms.
However, contrary to speculation that the marriage was recent, Akume’s spokesman, Mr Yomi Odunuga, confirmed that the union had been in existence for over a year.
“It is not a new marriage. The marriage is more than a year old,” Odunuga said, declining further details.
Queen Zaynab was previously married to the Ooni of Ife in a highly publicised traditional wedding held in Benin City in March 2016, with a follow-up reception in Ile-Ife. The marriage, which drew national attention at the time, lasted about 17 months before ending in August 2017.
Following the separation, she publicly reverted to her maiden name and later relocated to Doha, Qatar, where she was reported to be involved in philanthropic engagements. In subsequent years, she was linked in media reports to a wealthy Arab national, with whom she was said to have had a child in 2022.
