Nigerian showbiz maestro and rights activist, Charles Oputa, popularly known as Charly Boy, has formally walked his American wife, Diane, down the aisle after 40 years of marriage.
Taking to his verified Twitter handle, Charlyboy (Official) @Areafada1, the 67-year-old grandfather tweeted: “My Wife, I marry you again because e be like sey my Mumu never do.
“I trust that our togetherness over the years have taught some people about perseverance, tolerance, discipline and friendship.
“Your Loyal Mugu.”
The marriage has produced three children.
Charly Boy and Diane exchanged marriage vows on Saturday evening at the Chapel of Sisters of Jesus the Redeemer Catholic Church in Gwarimpa, Abuja.
The low-keyed wedding was officiated by the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Dioceses, Bishop Mathew Kukah, and had in attendance close friends and relatives of the couple, including the aged mother of Charly Boy.
The Archbishop of Abuja Catholic Diocese, Cardinal John Onaiyekan, was also in attendance, among other clergymen.
The couple exchanged the “I do” vows amidst cheers from the congregation.
They, thereafter, signed the marriage register.
Onaiyekan, in his exhortation, hailed the couple for staying together for over four decades.
He, however, urged them to be committed to their marriage vows by showing mutual love, understanding and respect for each other.
“I specially congratulate Charles and his wife for this godly decision, and I pray God to keep them together.”
Charly Boy said he and his wife decided to wed in church to honour his aged mother who had been ‘pleading that we do the right thing.’
The 67-year-old grandfather told NAN that he got married as a teenager in 1974, and secured divorce after the union produced one child.
He noted that the Catholic Church observed a strict marital doctrine.
“This is not that kind of marriage with fanfare; I am doing it to please my aged mother and meet certain demands of the society.
“She has been pleading that we do the right thing, saying this is the woman I have been living with for 40 years.
“We have been following through with the process of annulment of my last marriage, and my former wife who has since remarried cooperated very well, and then in 2017, the marriage was formally annulled.
“My mother actually got the wife for me at the age of 19 because I was a little rascally with women as a young man; she thinks it would curb my sexual excesses,” he said.
NAN