Ajuri Ngelale, the special adviser to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on media and publicity, has gone on an “indefinite leave”......See Full Story>>.....See Full Story>>
A statement he signed and submitted to the chief of staff to the president, Femi Gbajabiamila, stated that his decision was tied to medical matters presently affecting his immediate nuclear family.
Ajuri Ngelale: Possible new presidential spokesman
The development means President Tinubu is now in the hunt for a new spokesman.
Who are the likeliest candidates to replace Ngelale? Legit highlights some names. Check them out below:
1) Tolu Ogunlesi
Ogunlesi is a former special assistant on digital/new media to ex-President Muhammadu Buhari.
The 42-year-old is a former winner of the Arts and Culture Prize of the defunct CNN Multichoice African Journalism Awards.
2) Bayo Onanuga
Onanuga is the current special adviser on information and strategy to President Tinubu.
He co-founded TheNews magazine and is a former managing director (MD) of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
3) Sunday Akin Dare
Dare served as the minister of youth and sports from 2019 to 2023. He previously held the position of executive commissioner of the stakeholder management at the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), having been appointed by then-president, Buhari in August 2016.
Although Dare was widely tipped for appointment as a minister in Tinubu’s first cabinet, he was not chosen.
The 58-year-old is the proprietor of Omoluabi 87.7 FM, Mokola, Ibadan, a radio station he started in January 2024.
4) Tunde Rahman
Rahman is presently the senior special assistant (SSA) on media to President Tinubu.
Rahman was media aide and chief of staff to Tinubu before he was elected president.
5) Temitope Ajayi
Ajayi, who described himself as a political actor, serves as the senior special assistant to President Tinubu on media and publicity.
Ajayi is a public relations expert and writer who worked on the Tinubu campaign in addition to having a long history of working at the Tinubu media office. He is also known to be affiliated with the Western Post newspaper owned by Tunde Rahman. He studied at the Lagos Business School and Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Osun state.
6) Daniel Bwala
Borno-born Bwala worked with a presidential hopeful, Atiku Abubakar. He was a spokesperson for the former vice-president’s presidential campaign organisation, a position he held during the 2023 presidential campaign.
Presently an open supporter of President Tinubu, Bwala has been touted as a potential candidate for the vacant spokesperson role.
7) Otega Ogra
In July 2023, President Tinubu appointed Ogra as his senior special assistant on digital/new media.
Six years earlier, Ogra was among 105 Nigerians, aged 18 to 31, shortlisted for The Future Awards Africa.
An alumnus of Babcock University, Ogra worked at GTBank as corporate communications manager, and later at Wema Bank Plc, as head, brand management and head, corporate communications and digital marketing unit.
He joined the BUA Group in 2015 as group head, corporate communications, a position he occupied until he joined Tinubu’s government.
Tinubu reacts as Ngelale goes on leave
Earlier, Legit reported that President Tinubu accepted the decision of his special adviser on media and publicity, Ngelale, to proceed on an indefinite leave of absence ‘due to family health issues’.
The presidency stated that Tinubu accepts Ngelale’s reasons for the leave and hopes for a speedy recovery and full restoration to health.