January 18, (THEWILL) – The hush-hush wedding allegedly between the governor of Edo State, Senator Monday Okpebholo, and Los Angeles, California-based Jennifer Esteniyo Lamai, 30, a native of Auchi, Edo North, has been abruptly called off with just days to the ceremony in a dramatic turn of events that could potentially lead to huge financial losses to them and invited guests.
Controversy had trailed the wedding since THEWILL brought it to mainstream consciousness in an exclusive report on December 24, 2024, revealing that wedding invites without the name of the groom were being distributed by Jennifer and her mother, Sharon, to their friends within and outside the United States.
The bride-to-be (not any more at least for now) who works as a CEO/Investor Relations Analyst/Real Estate, according to her Instagram page and her mother, have been coy with the identity of the groom. However, THEWILL’s source was able to get direct confirmation from one of Jennifer’s friends, who she confided in, that the governor is the groom despite denials from his camp.
“They are only telling invitees that Jennifer is getting married. It is obvious they are hiding something, probably they don’t want distractions to taint the ceremony”, one of our sources said.
According to a source, former Edo State Governor, Senator Adams Oshiomhole, who is also from the Auchi area, allegedly linked Jennifer to the governor.
“It appears Okpebholo got cold feet and pulled out of it. He barely knew her”, one source added.
Some shocked invitees who reside outside California, particularly in Nigeria, were not told why the wedding was abruptly cancelled even though they were made to incur huge expenses on accommodation, travel, asoebi and other related costs, and expressed anger and disappointment over the development. The wedding was scheduled to be held in the Los Angeles area on January 25, 2025, before it was scrapped.
THEWILL does not know the status of Okpebholo’s current marriage to Blessing Okpabi Okpebholo, the mother of their two daughters, who was a no-show during his inauguration as governor and is nowhere near the government house. They appear to be separated or divorced, according to findings.
Jennifer and her family were former residents of Miami and Houston before moving to Los Angeles. THEWILL’s calls to her mobile phone, a Houston registered number, rang and were unanswered. Text messages, though delivered, were not acknowledged.
The Governor’s Special Adviser on Media, Osiobughie Okhuemoi, in his reaction to this report, insisted that the governor was not getting married and had nothing to do with the purported Los Angeles wedding.
