The Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, and his family are hosting what appears to be one of the most elaborate wedding schedules recently staged in Abuja, with a series of ceremonies spread across several days for 10 of his children.
PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported that the minister, married to four wives, Aisha, Balkisu, Fatimah and Sadiya, has made history with this move.
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A programme of events shared by the family outlines a tightly packed sequence of traditional and social rites that began on Tuesday and will conclude on Friday.
The ceremonies are taking place across Maitama, Wuse 2, Mabushi and Asokoro, effectively turning parts of Abuja into a circuit of wedding venues within the same week.
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According to a general invitation obtained by this newspaper, the final religious ceremony is scheduled for Friday at the Central Mosque in Abuja.
Details
Separate invitation cards seen by this newspaper also show that several grooms and brides will be joined during the ceremonies. They include former Zamfara State House of Assembly Speaker Nasiru Mu’azu Magarya, who is set to marry Nana Bello Matawalle; Ibrahim Sahabi Liman, who will wed Farida Bello Matawalle; Yazid Shehu Dan Fulani, named as the groom of Safiya Bello Matawalle; and Umar Ibrahim Danmaliki, who will marry Aisha Bello Matawalle.
The celebrations also involve Maryam, Firdausi, Bello, Farhad, Suraj, Ibrahim and Abduljalal Matawalle
Beyond the high-profile names involved, the unfolding series of events offers a glimpse into how elite northern Nigerian families often stage weddings as multi-day cultural experiences, blending religious rites with social celebrations and involving extended family.
Programme of events
The programme of events shows that the ceremonies began on Tuesday, 3 February, with a henna party held in Maitama, followed later the same day by the Sa lalle ceremony at Ministers’ Quarters. On Wednesday, 4 February, the Kamu/Fulani Day celebration was held at the Armed Forces Officers’ Mess, continuing the sequence of traditional and social rites.
The celebrations moved into their penultimate day on Thursday, with the Grand Soirée ongoing at AIB Events City Park in Wuse 2 at the time of filing this report. The final ceremonies are scheduled for Friday with the Wankan Amarya at the Ministers’ Quarters in Mabushi, followed by Jeyirin (mothers’ blessings) in Asokoro, bringing the series of events to a close.
