The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, has confirmed his marriage to Queen Zaynab Ngohemba, the former wife of the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi.
The confirmation followed widespread public attention after members of the Dajoh family announced the union in a celebratory social media post shared on Friday. The post, made by Abraham Double-d Dajoh, a member of the family, revealed that Queen Zaynab had been formally welcomed into the Dajoh family home in Mbakor, Benue State, during the festive season.
In the post, the family described the marriage as “beautiful” and “uncommon,” expressing joy at receiving the former Olori into their lineage.
“We, the entire Dajoh Family, happily join our daddy, uncle and brother, His Excellency, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Sen. George Akume Jugu Dajoh, in welcoming his new and uncommon wife, Queen Zaynab Ngohemba-George Akume Dajoh, into the Dajoh family,” the statement read.
The family also thanked Akume’s political associates and supporters for their continued loyalty, urging them to stand by the SGF as he begins this new chapter of his personal life.
Queen Zaynab, formerly known as Olori Wuraola, was married to the Ooni of Ife for about 17 months before their union ended in 2017. Her arrival in Mbakor was marked by cultural rites and traditional hospitality, underscoring the family’s ancestral ties to Benue State and the Tiv nation.
“Welcome to Benue State, the Food Basket of the Nation, welcome to Mbakor, the seat of leadership of the Tiv nation, and welcome to the Dajoh family,” the statement added.
The announcement, which coincided with Christmas celebrations, also included goodwill messages to Nigerians for the festive season and the New Year.
Reacting to the reports, Akume’s spokesman, Yomi Odunuga, confirmed the marriage but clarified that it did not take place recently, as widely speculated.
“I can confirm the marriage. However, contrary to the rumour that the marriage was concretised in Gboko on Christmas Eve when the couple appeared together at a Christmas event, it is actually a marriage that is over a year old,” Odunuga said.
Akume, a former governor of Benue State, currently serves as a key figure in President Bola Tinubu’s administration. News of his marriage to Queen Zaynab, a humanitarian and former royal figure, has continued to generate conversation across political and social circles nationwide.
