The Real Housewives of Abuja

All Shades of Glamour and Drama

In a few days, six women living in Abuja will light up our screen with their intriguing personalities and relationships. These women are the new faces of the latest iteration of The Real Housewives franchise, the Real Housewives of Abuja. Vanessa Obioha captures their distinguished characteristics

The Real Housewives, a reality TV show that was birthed in Orange County, the United States, almost 17 years ago, continues to capture hearts around the world with the intriguing lifestyle of cast members. Now adapted in many countries, Nigeria premiered its first iteration with the ‘Real Housewives of Lagos’ which became a successful hit last year. Riding on that success, Showmax, the streaming platform has set its sights on Abuja, the city of affluence. The show will premiere on the platform exclusively on Friday, February 17, 2023.

Six diverse and successful women have been selected to star in this new iteration. They are expected to deliver a high dose of glamour and drama as they intermingle and navigate their relationships with one another. 

Arafa (Creative Director and Founder of Selara Lifestyle)

The art entrepreneur is the party girl but with a heart for Jesus. A graduate of Theatre Arts and French, Arafa was born in Russia and is a mother of twins. Motherhood however has not stopped her from chasing her artistic passion. She is the owner of Selara Stiletto Studio, a female-only pole and sensual dance studio in Abuja.

Arafa has always been familiar with The Real Housewives franchise

“I have a family who lives in Atlanta,  and funny enough, one of the original cast mates’ name is Nene which also happens to be my sister’s name, so people thought it was my sister on the show. That’s how I got introduced to the show,” said Arafa who is also a half-Tanzanian, half-Calabar princess, and a certified Zumba instructor.

Coming on the show for Arafa is simply to showcase Abuja to the world.

“I am an Abuja OG ( original). My family moved here in the 80s when 90% of the things you see did not exist, so I wanted to show the world where we came from and where we are going. I am also a business entrepreneur who is not one to follow cliques, so it’s been difficult to expose myself to a wider audience. Therefore, I am grateful for this platform that allows me to do so.”

Arafa considers The Real Housewives franchise a viable platform to help businesses grow and is not bothered about showing herself to the world.

“I have never pretended to be anybody other than who I am. It hasn’t been an easy road, but everything that has happened in my life has led me up to this point. I have learned from my past, I have grown from my past, and I am grateful for all the experiences. Everyone has a story to tell, and I am no different,” she said.

Relationships are one of the key themes of The Real Housewives franchise. For Arafa, it’s been a rollercoaster.

“The more I got to  know some, the better I understood them, and some I realized were just not my cup of tea.”

Comfort Booth  (Lawyer and Talk Show Host)

There is no shortage of words in Comfort Booth’s dictionary. Her description of the franchise is what anyone will describe as epic. “Engineered drama with a certain flavour!”

And flavorful is how one can describe the vivacious lawyer and talk show host. With her colorful mohawk, Comfort is ready to delight viewers with her buoyant personality.

Comfort, who is also a foodie, sees The Real Housewives of Abuja as an opportunity to “write a story on a blank slate that is on an international platform.” Not one to colour her words, she admitted that she used to think she was familiar with the franchise but found out that she does not. Notwithstanding, she understands that being on the show would open her more to the world.

“The key is to devalue information (about self). I own everything that I’ve done and said. It takes courage to do that. Because people’s lives are on the world stage doesn’t make anyone better or worse off than the other person. Owning it is what sets us apart. Being vulnerable is something I learnt more about on set. And so no…it was liberating. It takes (again) courage to be vulnerable. To say ‘see, I’m no better than you oo. We are all striving.’

Mingling with other cast members can sometimes be a hurdle. Not for Comfort though who has found a common ground with her fellow cast mate OJ Posharella. The rest? We may have to wait to see how that plays out on screen.

OJ Posharella (Marketing Influencer and CEO of Posharella Empire)

Kaduna-born Ojoma Sule, better known as OJ Posharella, is a self-acclaimed Minister of Happiness. Her exuberance is so enveloping that one can barely escape it. But how will that pan out in a reality TV show that brings together women with different attitudes? Not a problem for the entrepreneur and the CEO of the Posharella Group of Companies. OJ Posharella seems to be on a mission to correct the perception that women cannot live and work in harmony.

“I have watched a bit of The Real Housewives of Atlanta and Beverly but never really sat down to watch a full season,” she began. While the franchise is a good one, I feel it kind of breeds some kind of hatred among women, and I felt like I could come into the franchise and switch it up a bit and see that women can come together, we can have constructive arguments and we can still love up on each other and cheer up on each other. But I feel like among women, I don’t know, it seems there is a certain competition that just erupts and people just start to have bad feelings and ill feelings towards one another.”

This somehow played out for her with fellow castmates as she could not understand why they didn’t share the good vibes with her.

“My brand, the Minister of Happiness, is a brand of love and just happiness and positivity. And so I went in and I was supporting everyone just as I am because I have no pretence in me. And I realised that people just couldn’t stand that why is she happy? Why is this happening? Why does she shine and so I started to notice at the end of it and so I kind of like entered my shell and I couldn’t really even bring on myself the way I would have wanted to showcase my talents and what kind of person I am. But I would say my relationship with some cast mates is not so good because I don’t know why they just don’t like me and if you ask them, there’s nothing OJ has done to anyone. Even in my diary sessions, even when people watch the show, they will see that I never said anything about anyone. I never did anyone wrong and all of that but why do you hate OJ? That’s the question I can’t understand.”

Notwithstanding, OJ is delighted to be in the show “to showcase my brand and my businesses to people who do not know about it.”

Princess Jecoco (Lawyer and Hotelier)

It’s all about the good vibes for the Borno State-born beauty, Princess Jecoco. A lawyer, brand ambassador, influencer, content creator, and hotelier, Princess understands what a show like The Real Housewives Abuja represents and being a woman of style and a creative director of a fashion brand, it is an opportunity to showcase her brand to the world.

“This show tells the stories of hard-working women, glamorous lifestyles and housewives.” Connecting with other cast members, Princess Jecoco is meticulous about how she described them.

“They are chic. It is a delight working with them. I have no issues with anyone but I don’t know how they feel about me,” said the Managing Director of the Sefcon Group of Hotels. The mother of two children is also the president of the Umu Asa Cultural Association, an association established for the preservation of the Igbo culture.

Tutupie   (Chef and Event Curator)

Tutupie has been a fan of the Real Housewives franchise from the very first episode back in 2006.

“I think I manifested myself in this because I was an avid fan of the show,” said the chef and event curator. “The show is all about how you use your platform, how you use your voice, and how you use your personality.  At the end of the day, it is all up to you. So I feel like it’s the individuals that actually put the show together. It’s not even about the franchise itself but the cast  that makes it what it is.”

Tutupie is quite keen on showcasing the beauty of Abuja from the erroneous perception that it’s a boring place. Although she was born in Borno, she believes Abuja is a lively city.

On revealing her vulnerability on the screen, Tutupie disclosed that she is unbothered.

“It is a reality show. So I was as real as I could be. So I can’t be bothered about how it would affect the next person watching. Like I’ve given them a good show. I’ve shown them an inside of my life, they can take it or leave it but there is no part of me that feels bothered about what the next person’s opinion would be, viewers or cast.”

Samantha Homossany (Wellness Entrepreneur and Creative Director Of Zohi Taglit)

The wife of an Abuja-based Israeli millionaire and mother of four children is an avid fan of The Real Housewives franchise and has always wanted to be a part of it.

“It is very intriguing to me and getting to know people live their lives out there. They are strong, powerful and dynamic individuals who after the show have successful businesses. Apart from the fact that it is entertaining and inspiring, the housewives are also controversial.”

While the show provides an opportunity to showcase her brand, Samantha feels vulnerable exposing her family to the world but is not really a bother to her.

Born and raised in Benue State, Samantha is a good friend, a loyalist and an introvert who can be extroverted when she is in the right company.  Although her relationship with other cast members initially was rocky, the more time they spent together, the better the relationship became.

She described herself as the firecracker of the group. “If you are looking for someone to bring everyone out of their shell, you will certainly come to me,” she said.