Cross River Ex-Governor’s Daughter Donna Duke Marries Pastor Rapu’s Son
Donna Duke, the youngest daughter of former Cross River State Governor Donald Duke, has been traditionally married to Tobe Rapu, son of Nigerian pastor and social reformer Tony Rapu, in a ceremony held at her family residence in Calabar on Thursday.
The colourful event was attended by notable figures, including the Obong of Calabar, His Eminence Edidem Ekpo Okon Abasi Otu V, and other dignitaries, marking a significant celebration in the state’s social calendar.
Donna Duke, a Nigerian mixed-media artist renowned for her evocative portraiture, studied at the University of Nottingham and earned a Master’s degree in Art and Cultural Enterprise from Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London.
Her husband, Tobe Rapu, is a London-based strategy and investment professional with expertise in real estate and finance. He currently serves as the Strategy and Investments Lead at StoneCreek Properties, managing large-scale residential and hospitality projects in Lagos.
The groom’s father, Tony Rapu, is a medical doctor, senior pastor and social reformer widely recognised for his work in drug rehabilitation and urban social development through the Freedom Foundation. He hails from Kano State and is married to Nkoyo Rapu.
The bride’s father, Donald Duke, is a Nigerian politician, lawyer and businessman who governed Cross River State from 1999 to 2007 under the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
He is celebrated for transforming Cross River into a prominent tourism and investment hub, with initiatives including the Calabar Carnival and Tinapa Resort.
This union adds to the Duke family’s history of high-profile marriages: in 2018, another daughter, Xerona, married DJ Caise, the grandson of late billionaire Antonio Deinde Fernandez, while in 2021, daughter Nela wed Asuquo Ekpenyong Jr., a former Cross River Commissioner of Finance and current Nigerian Senator.
