It’s strange she is asserting that she is single again.
Why? When popular Yoruba actress, Lola Alao, switched from
Christianity to Islam in 2016, she wondered why there should be so much
frenzy that she became a Muslim as she disclosed that she came from a
Muslim background.
“I don’t know what the hullabaloo is all about. I am from a Muslim
background. My father was a Muslim. My grandfather was Muslim. My father
was Lasisi Alao. There is no big deal in this. The religion is not new
to me. I chose to follow my mother before; and now I decide to go back
to Islam, is there a problem?” she told PUNCH.
Chief among the rumour, being peddled was that Lola switched to Islam
because of a rich ‘Alhaji’ who she wanted to get married to.
But the actress said, “I am happily married, I am not looking for a
husband and my husband is even a Muslim. I was even a Christian before
he married me. Nobody forced me into this religion.”
Fast-forward to 2017 in a recent interview with Vanguard, Kogi-born Lola
declared that she is now a single mother. When asked if there was any
man in the picture currently, she responded, “No, there is none.”
The mother of one, Lola’s first marriage to Dare Ogunlana was fraught with scandals.
Dare, a businessman, got married to Lola on June 8, 2002.
But it was a strange story he narrated some years later when he separated from Lola.
He said, “I just woke up that morning and found myself in a wedding
ceremony with her. I was reluctant initially but I became so helpless
and weak to the extent that I couldn’t go contrary to her command. Since
then, I have been in her web. None of my family was there, I can
remember that she got some of her friends, she signed for me and one
Nollywood/Yoruba director called Olu signed for her.”
The marriage produced a girl, Damilola, whose mum founded a non-profit organization in her name.
Then, Lola later met and married America-based Olawale Ajibola. He
was at her father’s burial in 2016 and was one of those who sprayed her
heavily with cash at the party which attracted the crème of society in
Lagos.
Lola Alao and Olawale Ajibola during her father’s burial party
Now that Lola has confirmed her marital status, it is obvious her second marriage was short-lived.
According to sources, there were allegations of Lola’s adultery with a
top politician who is wealthy, a Muslim and holds one of the highest
offices in the nation’s political terrain.
He was said to gain Lola’s attention than the husband’s—she was always
in Abuja and the politician bathed her with money! Olawale was said to
have walked out of the marriage and moved on to Canada with one of
Lola’s friends.
When asked in the Vanguard interview why there were many single mums
in the Yoruba movie industry, Lola replied, “I think it has to do with
making the wrong choices. I will say they haven’t gotten to their final
destination that is why they are single mothers. I think every single
mother you see made a wrong choice.”
Her current relationship with the father of her child?
She explained: “I will keep saying that the father of my daughter is
the best. He is kindhearted and he is a very good person. Forget
whatever he might have said about me out of annoyance, we have a very
good relationship.”
Would she go back to him?
“If God says so, why not?” came her response.