It was a spectacular show of glamour and opulence in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, by the elite members of the Nigerian society, politicians, captains of industries and service chiefs who thronged the ancient city for the society wedding of the daughter of Governor Ibikunle Amosun, Miss Ayomide Amosun, and Mr. Oladipupo Dabiri; son of former House of Representatives member and Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari, on Nigerians in Diaspora, Abike Dabiri – Erewa.
The African Church Primary School, Ita Iyalode, Abeokuta, the venue of the traditional engagement and Nikkah ceremony and Muhammad Buhari Presidential Estate where the reception took place, surged with dignitaries whose power dressing and hundreds of Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs) that ferried them to witness the holy matrimony, marked them out sharply as the fortunate ones.
The location for the Nikkah was particularly significant for the bride’s parents as it was also the venue where Amosun and his wife, Olufunso, cast their vote in the April 2011 gubernatorial election which shot them into power as Governor and Wife of Governor.
The Acting President Yemi Osinbajo prayed for harmony and blessings of God upon the couple while his wife, Dolapo who supervised the cutting of the wedding cake also prayed God to grant them “joy, happiness and favour” in their marriage.
Earlier, the officiating clergy, Abdul – Rahman Ahmad, who is the National Chief Missioner, Ansarudeen Society of Nigeria, brought Ayomide and Oladipo together and pronounced them formally as husband and wife according to Muslim format exactly 1:04pm amid rumble of cheers from the enthusiastic parents and dignitaries.
Sheik Ahmad in his brief sermon, said marriage is an institution ordained by Allah and advised the couple to have the fear of Allah in dealing with one another and love each other.
Chief Obasanjo in his brief remarks, congratulated the parents of the bride and groom as well as the couple, urging them to have the courage to understand there would always be friction in marriage and said when it occurs, they should deploy effective communication to resolve it.
“Marriage is sweet but it must have a time of friction and when frictions happen please I urge you to iron it out immediately, do not let it last more than 24 hours and the only way you can do that is through communication. Always maintain good communication,” Obasanjo said.
Also, Speaker Yabuku Dogara advised parents to spend their energies to training the child, attributing high rate of moral decadence and loss of values to bad homes.
He said marriage is ordained by God and must be sustained by man, explaining that the family remained the most important institution on earth where discipline takes root.
He noted that the increasing waves of crime and evil in the society is an attestation that the family is not only contracting, but also no longer a place where characters are moulded.
The Speaker urged the couple not to disappoint their parents, and prayed for God’s blessings upon them.
“The rate of crime in the society is not because our security agencies are inefficient but because most parents have failed to properly train their children.”
“As parents, we must deploy our energies at properly training our children because bad homes bring about a bad society,” Dogara said.
Eminent Nigerians that witnessed the wedding include the All Progressives Congress (APC) who was represented by former Finance Commissioner (Lagos State), Olawale Edun, Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dogara, Governor Akinwunmi Ambode (Lagos), Senator Dino Melaye, former Managing Director of GTbank, Fola Adeola, Senator Gbenga Ashafa, Governor Rotimi Akeredolu (Ondo), Governor Yerima Shettima (Borno), Governor Abdul – Azeez Yari (Zamfara), Governor Abiola Ajimobi (Oyo), Governor Godwin Obaseki (Edo), Minister of Solid Minerals, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, Governor Bello Masari (Katsina). Others are Governor Abubakar Badru (Jigawa), Governor Ahmed Abdulfatah (Kwara) and Senator Gbenga Ashafa.
Others are former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Alfa Belgore, former President Obasanjo, Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, the Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu, Chief Bisi Akande, Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, his Finance counterpart, Kemi Adeosun, Chairman of the defunct Interim National Government(ING), Chief Ernest Shonekan,
Chief Femi Majekodunmi, the Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo, the Olu of Ilaro, Oba Kehinde Olugbenle, the Osile of Oke – Ona Egba, Oba Adedapo Tejuoso, the Olowu of Owu Kingdom and Oba Adegboyega Dosunmu.
Also in attendance are father of the groom Bayo Dabiri and mother of the groom, Abike Dabiri – Erewa, and her husband, Segun Erewa, Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, former Commonwealth Secretary, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, Senator Olorunimbe Mamora, Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi, former Inspector General of Police, Musiliu Smith, former Attorney – General and Minister of Justice, Prince Bola Ajibola, Senator Lanre Tejuoso and Commissioner of Police Ogun State, Ahmed Iliyasu.
Others are business mogul and industrialist, Alh. Aliko Dangote, his counterpart in the oil sector, Femi Otedola, Minister of State for Petroleum, Ibe Kachikwu, Chief Femi Falana, former Ogun State governor Gbenga Daniel, a former Governorship candidate in Ogun State, Prince Gboyega Isiaka, Minister of Labour, Dr. Chris Ngige, ex – Deputy Governor Femi Pedro (Lagos), Founder First City Monument Bank (FCMB) and Olori – Omooba of Ijebuland, Otunba Subomi Balogun, former Governor Lateef Jakande (Lagos), General Alani Akinrinade (rtd), Senator Daisy Ehanire Danjuma, Senator Grace Ita – Giwa and Interior Minister Abdul – Rahman Danbazzau, former Governor Adams Oshiomhole (Edo), Governor Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), Senator Anthony Adefuye, National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. John Odigie – Oyegun, Afenifere chieftain, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, Chief Kensington Adebutu, former Governorship candidate of the Labour Party in Ogun State, Prince Jide Awosedo, and Prof. Pat Utomi and the nation’s Post Master – General, Chief Bisi Adegbuyi.
