Ex-Nigeria President Goodluck Jonathan Attends Nephew’s Wedding In Embu
Former Nigeria president Goodluck Jonathan flew to Central Kenya on August 12, 2023, to attend a colourful traditional marriage for his nephew.
The wedding between Jude Ogbuku from Nigeria and Joy Wanjiru from Runyenjes attracted a high powered delegation from Nigeria led by the former president.
Joy is the daughter of a Kenyan politician.
The wedding was conducted at the posh Izaak Walton hotel in Embu town.
It was pomp and dance as the couple, both lawyers, tied the knot in the presence of the ex-Head of State and friends who accompanied him.
“I have visited the country to join two families to celebrate the coming together of two young people,” said Jonathan.
He thanked the family of Wanjiru for giving their daughter to their son for marriage and assured the family that the bride was in safe hands.
“We appreciate you, we come to celebrate a marriage,” he said.
Jonathan, whose presence took the locals by surprise surprise watched in amusement as the two love birds went down the aisle.
However, he left immediately after the event amid tight security after the newly wed couple cut the cake as audience burst into celebrations.
“This is a big surprise, we were not aware that the former Nigeria President would attend the wedding, I have seen live for the first time,” one of the residents told Nairobi News.
Security officers from the area and the ex-president’s bodyguards kept on patrolling the area as the wedding, went on within the compound of the hotel.
Earlier, a goat was slaughtered on the eve of the wedding at Runyejes, the home village of Wanjiru, who is a daughter of a former Cabinet Minister, Kamwithi Munyi, to release her to her Nigerian husband.
A family friend, former Runyenjes MP Njeru Kathangu, described Wanjiru as a well educated woman from Kenya who fell in love with a Nigerian.
“She found a love of her heart in Nigeria and following the slaughtering of a goat, we have released her to be with her husband,” said Mr Kathangu.
During the ceremony conducted in Nigerian style, elders from Embu gave the bridegroom a small sword to cut meat to feed his family.
He was also given a spear, a shield and another sword to defend his family from the enemy.
The bride is the second high profile Kenyan to wed a Nigerian in recent times.
The other is President William Ruto’s daughter June, who wedded Alexander Ezenagu at a lavish wedding in Nairobi in 2021. The couple has since kept a low profile even though the President’s son in law sat next to him at his inauguration as Head of State in September 2022.
Goodluck Jonathan, 57, ruled Nigeria, Africa’s biggest economy and oil producer, from 2010 to 2015.