By Michael Effiong

Slightly over two years after her 20 year-old marriage crashed, drop dead gorgeous Gumsu Fatima Abacha has found love again!

The second daughter of late dictator, General Sani Abacha has sent tongues wagging with her recent hush hush wedding to Yobe State Governor and Caretaker Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mai Mala Buni.

Fondly called Tutupie by family and close friends, Gumsu’s wedding has been in the realm of speculations for months until it was confirmed when a Wedding Fatiha was hosted at the home of Mohammed Abacha, the bride’s elder brother.

The soft-spoken groom is a taciturn, media-shy gentleman, who does not court attention, but marrying into the Abacha family, especially picking a glamorous and popular woman like Gumsu, was certainly bound to attract the media-and the couple, in the past few days, have become “THE NEWS”.

Despite holding a public office, Governor Buni has not said a word about the wedding and Gumsu, who is fond of posting personal milestones on her Instagram page, has not written about this latest development in her life. The the only evidence of her new status is that she has changed her instagram handle to now read: Gumsu Abacha M.M. Buni

Those who know Gumsu are surprised that she has taken another shot at matrimony especially as she may have been emotionally hurt by her previous wedding to top Cameroonian businessman and politician, Mohamadou Bayero Fadil.

That 1999 wedding was one that brought so much joy to the Abacha family because it came at the period the family was trying to come to terms with the death of their patriarch.

As expected, Bayero, who is from Garoua, Northern Cameroun and Gumsu, from Kano, Nigeria were inseparable. They were always spotted in Doula, Abuja or Kano. The couple also spent quite some time in France and Turkey.

In 2000, they took their love story an extra notch when Gumsu was delivered of a lovely baby girl at the famous American Hospital in Paris, France.

Our Sister publication, OVATION INTERNATIONAL captured that momentous moment in the Abacha family because the new baby became the family’s first grand child.

According to Ovation” Gumsu was delivered of the baby by her acclaimed doctor, Dr. Tibi Charles. Their bundle of joy arrived thirty-nine weeks into her pregnancy and ten months after their celebrated wedding.

“Gumsu said in a telephone interview with our London office “Bayero looked confused, scared and concerned because he did not want to lose me or the baby”

“He had flown in from Cameroon that very morning. He spent another four days before going back. As soon as the delivery took place, Bayero telephoned Kano and broke the news to Gumsu’s sister, Mrs Zainab Dalhatu and mum, Hajia Maryam Abacha and in-law, Alhaji Bashir Dalhatu. An elated family congratulated the Fadils, one after the other.

When Hajia Maryam heard her daughter’s voice on the other end of the line she said “Congrats…Alhamdullilah”.

“Asked why Paris, Gumsu explained that France is like her husband’s second home, and he has a lot of business interests in Paris”

“Also, the Bayero family patronize American Hospital and usually stay at Le Meridien Hotel, Paris, but because of the new baby, they had to rent a service apartment.

“She ate her favourite meal of jollof rice and fried plantain and mangoes, which she brought from Cameroun. She also ate a lot of salads and drank a lot juices”

“The baby was named Maryam after her maternal grand mother and given a second name, Sultana, suggesting royalty.” After this bundle of joy arrived, the couple cemented their love with four more children.

Therefore, many where shocked when news broke that Gumsu and Bayero Fadil had parted ways due to irreconcilable differences.

Though the December 2019 divorce was not public, but the cat was let out of the bag when Gumsu changed her name on social media and Bayero also edited his Wikipedia profile.

Insiders have revealed to The Boss that though the divorce was painful, they are not bitter enemies, in fact, we gathered that the Abacha family reportedly broke the news of Gumsu’s new marriage directly to Bayero by sending him a video of the wedding ceremony.

Though we did not know how this romance began, we are told that Gumsu, 47, who is opinionated, bold and blessed with beauty and brains, has been swept off her feet and truly in love with Governor Buni ,who is in his early 50s has no qualms about being wife No.4

The Boss gathered that the love between the pair is mutual and they are also very fond of each other.

On his part, Governor Buni will be glad that he has added Gumsu to his family. Before now, he had married a third wife, Ummi Adama Geidam, daughter of the gentleman he succeeded as Yobe State Governor now Senator Ibrahim Geidam.

Many believed this marriage had a political undertone as Geidam had already indicated to all that he wanted to hand over to Buni, who was APC National Secretary at the time.

The wedding Fatiha was simple.It was an Islamic affair that was attended by friends of both families including Col. Hamid Ali, Comptroller-General of Nigeria Customs Service, Basheer Garba Lado, Rt Hon. Yakubu Dogara, Abdullahi Maikano.. Sheikh Daurawa among others

The union of the couple and their families was sealed with prayers coordinated by Islamic clerics.

This particular wedding can be described as the quietest event in the Abacha Household in recent memory.

Gumsu with husband, Governor Mai Mala Buni

The Abacha are not known to have subtle parties. They love celebrating their events in extra special and glamorous ways. In 2002, when Mohammed Abacha married his first wife, Fatima in Kaduna and Kano, it was a carnival.

The wedding Fathia was attended by such personalities as Former President, General Ibrahim Babangida (Rtd) and wife, Maryam, Jigawa State Governor, Saminu Turaki, Senator Diasy Danjuma, Ireti Kingibe and Laila Dogonyaro among many others.

When his brother, Mahmud also got married in 2013, the wedding reception at the International Conference Centre (ICC), Abuja was filled with celebrated Nigerians including Mrs Ajoke Murtala-Mohammed, Mrs Aisha Buhari, Prince Nasir Ado Bayero, Governor Seriake Dickson, Senator Ibrahim Mantu, and many others.

Maybe because of COVID-19 or the simple and quiet nature of the groom, the wedding ceremony of Gumsu and Governor Mala Buni did not follow this usual Abacha-style pattern, it was understated without any razzmatazz.

The Abachas in Year 2000: Zainab, Hajia Maryam, Rekiya and Gumsu

That not withstanding, we gathered that the day was successfully executed as planned, and the love birds are glad that it went well and they can now officially call each other husband and wife!