Jephthah Bowoto, popularly known by his stage name Akpororo, is one of the Nigerian entertainment industry’s finest comedians who is in the good books of many. Akpororo is also one of those celebrities who is having a scandal-free marriage (married to Josephine Ijeoma) despite marrying a lady whose career ordinarily will court controversies. Though there has been an instance in the past, which would have exposed some dirty secrets of Josephine, however, the cat was never let out of the bag because of how the matter was handled.
Akpororo Never Wanted to Marry a Celebrity
Akpororo, like other entertainers, has seen firsthand how most celebrity marriages usually end, thus he decided not to marry someone whose career will put her in the spotlight. However, one will be right to say that the comedian swallowed his words as Akpororo ended up marrying Josephine Ijeoma Onuabughichi, a supermodel and well-talented dancer.
According to Akpororo, he had met Ijeoma when she was with the popular Explicit Dance Crew, following which they became friends then lovers before he proposed to her in August 2015. The comedian made known they didn’t date for long before they tied the knot at Eagles Club Surulere, Lagos State, on the 4th of November, 2015. Their wedding is one of the most glamorous Nigerians have ever seen within and outside the country’s comedy industry.
Akpororo and Josephine Ijeoma Have Three Children
The marriage is blessed with three beautiful kids. Their first fruit, a girl, was born in 2016. After she came a set of twins, a boy, and a girl were born in the United States in 2018. The family likes to refer to themselves as the Roro Kingdom. Perhaps, an adaptation from their father’s stage name. The 34-year-old father never hesitates to offer help to his lovely wife with their children as he is often seen helping to nurse them. He takes to his Instagram page to flaunt his beautiful family once in a while as he carries out his fatherly duty.
A Joke Gone Wrong Threatened to Expose Josephine Ijeoma’s Nude Pictures
Akpororo reportedly made a joke in the past, which led to his wife’s nude being released online. He had a performance at Gbenga Adeyinka’s concert in Ilorin, where he made a joke about Yung6ix, a Nigerian rapper who spent NGN3.9 million some days back in a club. The comedian joked that he should have used the money to buy a hit track instead. This got the crowd roaring in laughter, but the joke sparked off a beef between the comedian and Yung6ix’s right-hand man, Dj Jimmy.
On the other hand, Dj Jimmy used that medium to tell the world that he had Josephine’s (Akpororo’s wife) nude. He mentioned that nobody was afraid of the comedian, whom he referred to as a never do well, whose jokes will put him in trouble and make him get shot at. The disk jockey warned him to be careful of what he says about the young rapper, whom he referred to as King of the South. He further revealed that while in the Explicit Dance group at Leadcity University, Josephine had been a sex slave to one PD in the same dance group. Therefore, he had access to his wife’s nudes and voice notes.
Akpororo Said the Whole Incident was a Joke
On the other hand, Akpororo said in an interview that he did not react when asked about his reaction to the threat. He also noted that there was no need for him to file a lawsuit. When asked why he didn’t want to “drag” D.J Jimmy, he noted that there was no need for it because they were joking.
Aside from this incident, Akpororo’s family never got into any other scandal. Their family pictures on social media are often limited to celebrating their wedding anniversaries and the birth or birthdays of their children. Akpororo has succeeded in shielding his family from the public eye, that is why nothing is known of his children and wife. From these pictures, one can conclude that they are a closely-knit family that is grateful to have found each other and are still very much in love.
Overview of Akpororo’s Comedy Career
Akpororo’s rise to fame is a story of his rise from grass to grace. He revealed in an interview that he never had the ambition to go into the entertainment industry. However, in other to make ends meet, he had to perform and dance for people. Still, the ability to make people laugh by cracking jokes is something that came naturally to him, and it wasn’t long he started seeking avenues to express this talent.
Akpororo filled in to participate and contest at the “Opa Williams’ National Comedy Challenge” at the Calabar Zone in 2008. He put up an impressive performance in the show, which earned him the winning spot. This set him on the part of success, and after some time, he decided to travel to Lagos to live with his uncle. That was where his burgeoning comedy career attained another milestone.
In 2009, he took part in AY’s open mic competition on two different occasions, where he clinched the second position in his first attempt and the first position in his second attempt. Furthermore, in 2013 he performed in Basketmouth’s show “Laff and Jam,” which boosted his popularity. He also credits his coming into the limelight to one of the jokes he told on the Laff and Jam show.
How Successful has Akpororo been as a Comedian?
The energetic and tireless comedian has received nominations and awards for his grand performances, asides from winning in shows that launched him into stardom. He has seen a couple of award nominations either as a comedian or as an actor. Some of them include –
- Nomination as the Comedy Act of the Year by the Nigerian Entertainment Awards 2014
- BEN Television Awards nomination as the Comedian of the Year 2014
- Nomination as the Comedy Act of the Year by the Nigerian Entertainment Awards 2015
- Nomination as the Best New Actor in the Golden Icons Academy Movie Award 2015
- Nomination for the Nigerian Entertainment Awards in 2016 for best Comedy Act
- Best Actor in Comedy by the African Magic Viewers Choice Awards 2016
Aside from having several award nominations, Akpororo has also won a few, which include;
- 2014 Naija FM Comedy Award for Best Comedian of the Year
- Golden Icons Academy Movie Awards for Best Comic Act 2015
These accolades, alongside a net worth of $4 million, make Akporor one of the most successful stars in the Nigerian comedy industry.