Today, Sunday, July 5, the Lagos social establishment will come alive as it hosts the much-expected traditional wedding between the the Fani-Kayode, Adeniji, Wada and J.K Randle families. The bride, Temitope Remilekun Adetokunbo, is the second daughter of Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, the former Minister of Aviation. Her mother, popular society lady and businesswoman, Oluyemisi Olasunbo Wada, is the daughter of Honourable Justice Bayo Adeniji, a retired Judge of the Lagos State Judiciary and who had served in the Legal Department of Lagos State Civil Service. Yemisi is married to Dahiru, son of Inua Wada, a one-time minister in the First Republic.

The groom, Jaiye Kofolaran, the son of Chief Jaiye .K. Randle, the ever social and highly regarded chartered accountant and the Bashorun of Lagos and his wife, Folasade. His grandfather, was the enigmatic late Lisa of Lagos, Chief J. K. Randle who died at the young age of 47 in the prime of his achievement and fame. Chief J. K. Randle died in Lagos on his return from the Commonwealth Games staged in Melbourne, Australia, in 1956. He was a founding member and Chairman of the Island Club Lagos, an eminent and sociable son of Lagos who found fame at an early age and retained his dignity and respectability until his death.

The traditional wedding, which is billed to hold at The Imperial Coliseum, Providence Road, Lekki, will register the presence of the creme-de-la-creme of the Nigerian social circuit. However, one grey area that the event is likely to record is the absence of the bride’s father, Femi Fani-Kayode. It is a well-known fact that a no-love lust relationship has always existed between FFK and his former wife. Invariably, the bride’s mother, Yemisi Wada, is gathered to have made it clear that she would not want her day of joy to be ruined by the presence of her former husband at the wedding ceremony. And she sent out words to him not to attend the event.

Those who are privy to the turbulent marriage between Yemisi and FFK, disclosed to The ELITES that the decision of the bride’s mother is justified. They revealed that her marriage yo the loquacious and controversial politician, which barely lasted three years, was fraught by the worst degradation any woman could be subjected to in a marriage.

The ELITES gathered that, in his younger years, FFK, like most silver spoon kids, was a Champagne Charlie; and he was as wild as youthful exuberance would allow. He had just been dumped by his first wife, Sarah Atta, when he met and married Yemisi. During the first year if their marriage, FFK, allegedly, became a rebel without a cause. As if this was not enough, he became a woman beater, taking out his anger on Yemisi, and pummeling her to smithereens as if she was a punching bag. To abate the prolongation of FFK’s awry behaviour and stop the onslaught, the Adeniji family was said to have prevailed on their daughter to discontinue with the relationship.

The ELITES learnt that when FFK’s father, the late Chief Remi Fani Kayode intervened and attempted to ameliorate the situation and reunite the couple, the Adeniji family rebuffed him and was adamant that they would not tolerate the status quo ante of their daughter suffering severe abuse from her drug-crazed-husband, who was then believed to have been suffering from a Jekyll and Hyde syndrome.

Subsequently, Yemisi walked out of the marriage, with her two daughters- Temitope and Tobiloba. She was pregnant with her third daughter, Tumininu. Later, she got married to Dahiru Wada and their union is blessed with two boys- Abba and Dahiru Junior.

The bride’s step-father, Dahiru Wada is expected to play a very pivotal role at the wedding today. It is gathered that Dahiru has been a fantastic father to Yemisi’s three daughters. Together, with his wife, he has helped to train and nurture the three girls through schools, while their father, FFK shirked in his responsibilities towards his daughters. Sources also disclosed to The ELITES that the bride, Temitope’s decision about not having her father attend her wedding, is in harmony with her mother’s. And neither did she seek his approval.

Predictably, close sources disclosed that Fani-Kayode feels very stung about being frozen out of the wedding ceremony.

As a prelude to today’s event, the wedding introduction had earlier held on Monday, December 22, at the magnificent home of her stepfather, Dahiru Wada, in Ikoyi, Lagos. It was witnessed by friends and close associates of the two families.

Wada played a huge role during the wedding introduction. His family members, notably, Mrs. Ajoke Mohammed, widow of the late military Head of State, Muritala Mohammed, was also in attendance. The late former Head of State was a nephew of Dahiru’s father, Alhaji Inua Wada.

The second leg of the wedding ceremony, the white wedding, will hold in London in October.