A beokuta, the historic capital of Ogun State, famous for producing some of Nigeria’s most famous personalities, wore a new garb of fame and festivities last Saturday, July 8. It was the day set aside to join in holy matrimony Ayomide, the winsome daughter of Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, and his beautiful wife, Olufunso; and Oladipo, son of Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Diaspora Affairs. Prior to his emergence as governor, Amosun was never really a social butterfly, being reputed more for his fastidious religious beliefs. But it was a different Amosun that gave out his daughter last Saturday. He did not just divest himself of the toga of a socially conservative man, he danced beautifully with the bride to contemporary music.

Cheered on by the guests, he was a sight to behold on the dance floor. So were the two mothers who showed that being in their 50s has not in any way robbed them of their dancing skills. It was a gathering of Nigeria’s richest and most powerful and most influential. From former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Acting President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, Senate President Bukola Saraki, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara to Governors Akinwunmi Ambode, Abiola Ajimobi of Lagos and Oyo respectively among others; politicians, public office holders, industrialists and businessmen of note, they all converged on Abeokuta for the new couple. Baba Obasanjo, as father of the day, was in his element, and even without prompting grabbed the microphone to belt out a couple of songs in his hoarse voice to the admiration of guests. Indeed, it was a spectacular show of glamour, power and opulence.

NOBODY MAKES A LOVELY CORPSE…MO ABUDU LOSES MOTHER IN LAW…BURIES HER GRANDLY

Few people get to transit from being utterly indispensable to “eternally unforgettable.” A real mother does. And if she is some father-in-law to treasure, he may be succeeded but he can never be replaced. This truth amongst so many others manifested in the manner in which Mo Abudu buried her late mother in-law.

Nobody ever makes a lovely corpse but when she was alive, she characterised the essence of loveliness and more. They might have been separated for close to a decade. However, Alhaja Raolat Adenike Abudu, the late wife of legal luminary and astute businessman, Chief Olatunde Abudu, was the only mother-in-law known to media entrepreneur and owner of Ebony TV, Mo Abudu. Alhaja Raolat was the mother of Tokunbo Abudu, also a lawyer and businessman, whose marriage to Mo broke down irretrievably about a decade ago. She was aged 85. The final burial ceremony was held in Abeokuta, Ogun State.

In spite of her very busy schedule considering her new vocation as a filmmaker, the enterprising and wealthy Mo ensured that she played her wifely role well, regardless of her separation from Tokunbo. Alongside her daughter, one of the products of the union, Temidayo, Mo was up and doing, attending to guests and ensuring they enjoyed the celebration of the life of the departed Abudu matriarch. Notable among the guests are close friends of Mo like Ruth Osime, Vivien Chiology-Shittu, Debbie Oghene, Pat Faniran, Ayana Trimmel, Ndidi Ayanye, Grace Osime and many others. Tokunbo’s friends were equally well represented.

A DAY THE OONI OF IFE WOULD NEVER FORGET

The ceremonies have ended. The husband has taken his wife home, savouring without restraints or inhibitions each other’s warmth and company, as the process of increasing Nigeria’s population is intensified. For the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi, the wedding of Ayomide, Ogun State governor Ibikunle Amosun’s daughter, and Oladipupo, son of Hon. Abike Dabiri, former House of Representatives member and Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Diaspora Affairs, it was a day he would not forget in a while.

Despite being surrounded by a phalanx of palace adherents, the Ooni mysteriously had his phone stolen at the expansive venue. This unwholesome incident, happened as the Ooni soaked in the merriment of the day. He was not alone. His brother-in-law, Jide Fadairo, also fell victim to the wily ways of the miscreants whose access into the venue, despite the burly, stone-faced security operatives and gun-bearing policemen, beggars understanding. Ooni Ogunwusi was very much upset by the incident while his followers were more devastated. But there was nothing they could do about the mystery behind the theft and the daredevil(s) that could have perpetrated it.