Popular hair vendor Nwanneka Nkumah has publicly refuted rumors suggesting she has a romantic relationship with Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
This denial follows allegations made by an Instagram gossip blog accusing Akpabio of having illicit affairs with several well-known Nigerian celebrities after he reportedly humiliated Kogi Senator Natasha Akpoti on the Senate floor.
Nwanneka’s photo was among those included in a list of alleged side chicks shared by the blog. In a detailed post on her Instagram page, she dismissed the rumors, suggesting there might have been a case of mistaken identity. She emphasized her long-standing opposition to infidelity and her commitment to maintaining her integrity.
“Woke up this morning to my picture on a flyer. First off, I’m still trying to make sense of why my picture is in this mix. Could it be a mistake from the graphic designer or what?” she wrote.
“I’d like to assume this was a complete mistake and was never intended. Gistlover, please go back and do this research well or reconfirm from your source as I believe there might be a mistake somewhere.”
Nwanneka, who is a married woman, reiterated her disapproval of those who destroy other women’s homes and stressed that she would never be involved in such activities. She clarified that she has never met, seen, or communicated with Akpabio or any other politician in Nigeria or elsewhere.
“I am one woman who hates, condemns, and publicly speaks against people destroying other women’s homes and I will never ever be a part of something like that. I have been a married woman almost all my life as I even came to Lagos a married woman. I have never met, seen, talked, or come in contact personally or otherwise with this man or any other politician in Nigeria or anywhere in the world,” she added.
Nwanneka also highlighted her hard work and dedication in building her business, stating, “All my life I have worked hard for every penny I have. If I have $2m, I can account for every dollar. If I have gotten any help, it is from my ex-husband and my current husband. I am a happily married woman with four kids and do not want my name associated with something like this.”
She urged the public to refrain from involving her in such rumors, asserting that her success is due to her hard work and not due to any illicit relationships. “I feel this is not only disrespectful to me but to all genuine hardworking women out there. This further deepens the stereotype that every woman at the top slept her way through it,” she concluded.