PREMIUM TIMES reported that the marital crisis between the 65-year-old lawmaker and the 25-year-old actress began in October 2025.
Ned Nwoko, the senator representing Delta North, has once again denied the allegation of domestic violence levelled against him by his estranged wife, filmmaker and actress Regina Daniels, with the publication of their last WhatsApp conversation.
PREMIUM TIMES reported that the marital crisis between the 65-year-old lawmaker and the 25-year-old actress began in October 2025, when Regina alleged that Mr Nwoko physically assaulted her, among other allegations.
Mr Nwoko denied the allegations, instead accusing her of substance abuse and of damaging his property. The controversy dominated public discourse until early December 2025, but gradually subsided towards the end of the month.
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However, the crisis took a new turn in January 2026 when Regina underwent a drug test, which returned negative results, seemingly refuting the lawmaker's substance abuse claims.
Validity
In response, Mr Nwoko challenged the validity of the test, stating it would be subject to scrutiny in a court of law.
Further supporting his position, Mr Nwoko shared a statement signed by his media team on social media pages on Sunday, revealing that his last WhatsApp message to Regina, sent on 17 October, warned that he would stop funding her lifestyle until she was fully rehabilitated.
He maintained that the message offers a clear and truthful account of the issues that led to the breakdown of their marriage.
The WhatsApp message read: "I won't accept your friends coming here at odd hours again. First, it was glam on Sunday night. I spoke with two of you to go to sleep at 1am, or she should leave. She didn't do either. It was an all-night of noise and music, and all that goes with it. By 3am, another two friends joined you. They left the following afternoon. Again today, I asked you to go to bed at 3am. You refused. It was the noise of doors downstairs that woke me up. Lo and behold, you and Sonia were heading to your room at exactly 3.30am.
"You have shown so much disrespect in the past few days. I don't know who is giving you drugs amongst them, and this lifestyle is totally unacceptable, and we can't continue like this. It is either you continue with your therapy, or you check into the rehab in Asokoro. My health is deteriorating because of your situation. I am worried about your life and what will happen with the kids. More importantly, I won't fund your lifestyle again until you are fully rehabilitated."
Domestic violence
Addressing the domestic violence allegation, he stated, "There was no domestic violence. The accusation became a convenient storyline to avoid accountability for the underlying problems. No member of the domestic staff witnessed or reported any beating.
"No contemporaneous complaint of violence was made. The claim of domestic violence surfaced only after the situation escalated and became public. Notably, even Regina's own mother stated that the video alleging violence was a prank, a telling admission that undercuts the entire claim."
Mr Nwoko alleged that Regina's substance abuse was documented over an extended period.
He stated that by October 2025, she had reportedly engaged in nearly eight months of persistent drug and alcohol use.
"This was a lived reality within the household, marked by erratic behaviour, unsafe associations, repeated late-night disturbances, and growing instability and confirmed toxicology findings. Independent toxicology reports confirmed the presence and abuse of multiple substances. These findings corroborate the concerns expressed in the October message and contradict claims that substance use was fabricated or exaggerated.
"Professional help was offered and resisted. Therapy and rehabilitation were initiated and encouraged well before the matter became public. The October message reflects frustration and a final attempt to insist on sustained professional help, either through continued therapy or structured rehabilitation. The children and her health were central to her. Senator Ned Nwoko's concerns, as expressed in the message, centre on declining health, unsafe behaviour, and the well-being of the children," he said.
Financial boundaries
The lawmaker said he introduced the financial boundaries not as a form of punishment, but as a necessary measure to curb a clearly harmful lifestyle.
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Mr Nwoko added, "Public victimhood became an easier escape than treatment. The shift from private intervention to public accusation was a deliberate strategy by Regina to evade responsibility, avoid long-term treatment, and garner public sympathy. The October message stands as a factual anchor. Unlike later videos and emotional appeals, the October 17 message was written in real time, before public pressure, before court proceedings, and before any reputational considerations. It reflects concern, boundaries, and an insistence on treatment, not violence.
"The evidence - medical reports, staff statements, therapy records, and contemporaneous messages- all point in one direction. The effort to recast this period as one of domestic abuse is clearly driven less by truth and more by shame and a reluctance to commit to long-term professional treatment. We will not shy away from addressing any/all issues raised by Regina in all her videos and writings, including age & infidelity on her part."
