Unknown to many fans of the Nigerian entertainment industry, when it comes to love and romance, there is no age limit. In the light of this, SHADE WESLEY-METIBOGUN unveils a list of entertainers who have older partners
Peter Okoye And Lola Omotayo-Okoye
One half of the music group known as P-Square, Peter Okoye and his lovely wife, Lola Omotayo, have both come a long way as a couple. While many are aware that Lola is older than her husband, not many know about the wide age difference between the two until the mother of two announced that she had clocked 50 on September 2, 2022.
Lola had been a fan of P Square for many years, even before she met and got to know the twins closely. It never occurred to her that somebody she would end up getting married to one of them.
She met Peter through his former manager and took a liking to him almost instantly. Later she formed the habit of watching the P-Square perform at concerts and other events. She recommended them for gigs via the company she worked with at the time.
Soon Peter and Lola took their friendship further and started dating in 2006. They welcomed their first child, Cameron in 2008. They got married in November 2013 and had their second child, Aliona same year. Like most other marriages, theirs was not a bed of roses. There were challenges and trials. For example, Lola was allegedly accused of being the cause of the friction between her husband and his twin brother, Paul, which led to the disbandment of the P-Square in 2016 till early 2022 when they all reunited as one big happy family.
Gbenga And Abiola Adeyinka
Comedian Gbenga Adeyinka and his wife of many years, Abiola, also fall into the category of couples who have older partners. The comedian hardly talks about this as he believes that having a peaceful home is much more important than the age difference between a couple.
Adeyinka met his wife when he was working as a corporate affairs manager in a construction company. Both of them worked in the same building but in different offices. Abiola was working as a company’s secretary then. He casually told her one day that she would be his wife and that marked the beginning of their friendship.
The love birds got married in 1996 and their marriage is blessed with three children. The comedian hardly flaunts his wife and children in public because his wife, who is a lawyer, is a very private person. The comedian is 54 years old, while his wife is 56.
Wizkid And Jada Pollock
Singer Ayo Balogun, otherwise known as Wizkid, and brand consultant cum manager, Jada Pollock, have six years between them. Jada was born in 1983, while Wizkid was born in 1990. The two have been together for over six years, despite their age difference. They met when Pollock was on a playing tour of Lagos with Chris Brown, one of the artists she was managing at that time, about seven years ago.
Pollock was introduced to Wizkid when he came to perform at Chris Brown’s concert in Lagos. They both struck a deal and she started managing the singer and later, started dating him. Pollock’s father hinted that the couple could have taken their relationship a step further when he called Wizkid his ‘son-in-law’ in an Instagram post. While Wizkid has two children from two other baby mamas, he has two with Pollock and recently welcomed the second a few weeks ago.
Dare And Deola Art Alade
Rhythm and Blues singer, Dare Art Alade, otherwise known as Darey, is one of the most popular African artistes in terms of talent and lyrical content. The music icon and entrepreneur is married to Adeola, a woman who is eight years older than him. Love has kept them going over the years and people hardly remember that they are not of the same age bracket.
Darey and his wife both run Livespot360 together, a creative agency responsible for some of the most successful concerts in Nigeria. They got married in 2007 and have been together for 15 years. The couple’s marriage is blessed with two children: Femi and Tinuke Alade.
Adeola is a very private person. She is rarely seen at events except it is coordinated by their company, Livespot360. Darey once said, in an interview, that there has been no pressure of any sort on him because he is married to an older woman.
Mike Edwards And Perri Shakes-Drayton
Mike Edwards, a high jump athlete, entrepreneur, and the first black to own a Cigar company in the United Kingdom came into the limelight after participating in the Big Brother Naija reality show in 2019.
Mike married Perri Shakes-Drayton, a retired British track and field athlete, in 2019. Perry, who is older by three years, was born in 1988, while the reality show star was born in 1991.
For Mike and his wife, it was love at first sight. They met in a school and were unable to take their eyes off each other. Mike tried to imitate her Jamaican accent and they became friends thereafter. They dated for some years before getting married in 2019 in Buckinghamshire and headed to Mauritius for their honeymoon.
The two love birds got married a few months before Mike went for Big Brother Naija Pepper Dem edition. The couple welcomed their first child together in 2020. Despite the difference in age and celebrity status, they have been able to keep their ship sailing.
Anita Joseph And Fisayo Olagunju
Nollywood actress, Anita Joseph and her husband, Fisayo Olagunju, popularly known as McFish, have been trolled on several occasions, especially on social media, because of their age difference.
Nita J, as she is fondly called, found love in the arms of Fisayo who is eight years younger than her. The actress was born in 1985 while her husband was born in 1993. Known to display affection for each other in public and on social media, the couple has chosen to ignore naysayers and now enjoys living together.
Anita and Fisayo met in 2017 at a birthday party. McFish, who is a hype man, was supervising the event when he sighted the actress. They became friends and eventually walked down the aisle in a private ceremony on February 14, 2020.
Anita’s friends discouraged her from dating and even settling down with the comedian turned hype man because of the difference in their ages and the nature of his profession. However, their love has continued to wax stronger over the years.
Stan Nze and Blessing Obasi
Nollywood actor, Stanley Nzediegwu, also known as Stan Nze, and his wife, Blessing Obasi, have a wide age gap between them. The actor got married to his producer cum actress wife in September 2021 in a well-attended ceremony.
Stan is ten years younger than his wife. He met her in 2017 at the Eko International Film Festival and one of their friends, Rotimi Salami, tried to introduce them to each other. They met again in the same year at the African Magic office where they both went to sell their movies individually to the African Magic team.
Tunde Onakoya, a friend of Blessing, tried to introduce the two to each other. Initially, Blessing had a negative impression of the actor. During their third encounter at the premiere of a movie, Picture Perfect, the two became friends and eventually got married in 2021.
Stan was criticised for marrying a woman who was almost 10 years older than him. The actor was born in 1989, while his wife was born in 1980. The actor revealed that he married her because she was the only woman who gave him peace of mind.
Praise Nelson And Omowumi Omoniwa
Reality show star, Praise Nelson got engaged to Omowumi Omoniwa, a 43-year- old lady in 2019 and even welcomed a son, Jamine with her in 2020. The 30-year- old dancer and Latin ballroom expert, who participated in the season 5 edition of Big Brother Naija, tagged Lock Down in 2020, was a subject of ridicule when he was on the reality show because his fiancée was older than him.
Some of his housemates accused him of dating a 60-year-old lady. Since the former housemate left the Big Brother Naija house, he has not married the mother of his son, three years after their engagement.
Uche Ogbodo And Bobby Marris
After a few attempts at nurturing a romantic relationship, Nollywood actress, Uche Ogbodo, finally found love in the arms of a younger man. Her beau, Bobby Marris, who is an up-and-coming artiste, is four years younger than the actress.
The duo faced a lot of opposition as a result of their decision, but it didn’t deter them from solidifying their relationship. They dated for a few months and Marris got the actress pregnant.
One of the reasons why Ogbodo settled for a younger lover is because of her unpleasant experience in the hands of older men who used her and left her heart broken and demoralised.
The couple had a secret marriage and has been living happily for the past one year. Bobby has been playing a fatherly role to Mildred, Uche’s daughter from a past relationship.
Toyin Lawani And Segun Wealth
Serial entrepreneur and boss of Tiannah’s Place Empire, Toyin Lawani, enjoys the company of younger men. She has dated a few of them and even gave birth for two of her younger lovers.
Her first celebrated romance with a younger lover was with Kensington Womadi, popularly known as Lord Trigg, but it hit the rocks within two years. Not long afterward, she fell in love with a younger man, Segun Adebayo Druce, also known as Segun Wealth, who is her personal photographer.
Segun Wealth abandoned his wife, Edeol Quin Idoga, and two children in Port-Harcourt under the guise of going to look for greener pastures, but he started co-habiting with the fashion designer. They got engaged in February 2021 and wedded in June 2021. They welcomed their first child in August 2021. One is older than the other by five years.
Also read: Finding Love After Divorce Can Be Difficult – Nikki Laoye
