…clarifies wife lives in Canada, not US; speaks on Peter Obi
By Efe Onodjae
Popular comedian and Nollywood actor, Okey Bakassi, has debunked reports claiming that his marriage had collapsed, insisting that he and his wife are still together.
Bakassi described the report, which went viral on social media, as fake news and an attempt to disrespect him and his family.
The report alleged that his wife had relocated to the United States to study nursing, while he remained in Nigeria, working and sending money to support her education for 15 years, before she allegedly asked for a divorce.
However, the comedian, in a video message, said the claims were entirely false, explaining that the controversy began after a video he made about Nigerian politics was taken out of context and given a misleading narrative.
According to him, the false report had triggered calls from friends, family members and fans across the world, seeking to confirm the state of his marriage.
He said: “While I was on set today filming a new movie with my colleagues, someone was busy on social media trying to disrespect me and my family.
“Someone went on social media and created an article with my name, my picture and that of my wife, alleging that we have gone our separate ways.
“And since then, friends, family and fans have been calling me from all over the world, calling my wife with this troubling news.
“Please, let me say to our friends, family and fans, my wife and I, we are still together. God forbid anything will ever happen to us.”
Bakassi, who described his wife and children as the most important people in his life, said they couple had recently celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary in Canada.
He also faulted the report for claiming that his wife lived in the United States and was a nurse, insisting that she lived in Canada.
“In Canada, for those of you who are close to me, you know my wife does not live in the United States, she’s not a nurse, as reported by the author of that article,” he said.
The actor further criticised those who shared the report without making efforts to verify its authenticity, urging friends, family members and fans to report the account responsible for circulating the claims.
He said the incident had shown him those who genuinely cared about him, noting that some people who came across the report had spread it rather than contact him or members of his family for clarification.
Meanwhile, the controversy followed a separate video in which Bakassi spoke about his voting choices and the need for good leadership in Nigeria.
In the video, the comedian recounted his support for different presidential candidates across political regions, including the late Moshood Abiola, former presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan, the late Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, and former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar.
He said his decision to support Peter Obi in the 2023 presidential election was not merely about balancing political representation among Nigeria’s regions, but because he considered the former Anambra State governor the best candidate to move the country forward.
Bakassi added that his political preference for the 2027 election remained Peter Obi, while acknowledging that Nigerians were free to make their own choices.
