Ajuri Ngelale has been appointed as the president’s special adviser on media and publicity, and President Bola Tinubu has given his approval. Ngelale served for former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo as Senior Special Assistant for Public Affairs in the Presidency during the most recent administration.
The appointment will begin on July 31, 2023, and unless the President decides differently, it will finish at the conclusion of the administration, according to Willie Bassey, Director of Information in the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, who made the announcement.
On the eve of Dele Alake’s resignation from the position following his nomination as a minister, Ngelale’s appointment was made public. Alake is anticipated to be one of the nominees the Senate will review on Tuesday.
Ngelale expressed his awe and honor at being chosen in a tweet on Monday night.
“I am incredibly grateful and honored that President Tinubu has chosen me to serve as his official spokesperson and that he recognizes the need for more arduous work to come. As always, I’ll give it my all. I cherish everyone of you, he tweeted.
Meanwhile, the President will depart the nation today in order to accept a request to attend the Republic of Benin’s 63rd anniversary of independence.
President Patrice Talon will be joined at the occasion by Tinubu, who also serves as the Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
Talon and he had previously met at the New Global Financing Pact meeting in Paris, the 63rd Ordinary session of ECOWAS in Guinea-Bissau, and most recently in Abuja with the presidents of three other West African countries, where the head of Benin had asked him to celebrate the occasion.
President Tinubu had brought the Beninese president’s attention to the need to evaluate and improve ties between their two nations’ cultures, commerce, and economies, emphasizing coordinated border patrols by the Customs and harmonizing laws on the front lines.
Six governors, who were invited by President Talon, will accompany the President on the one-day tour, along with his personal assistants.
The six governors are Dapo Abiodun for Ogun; Babajide Sanwo-Olu for Lagos; Seyi Makinde for Oyo; AbdulRahman AbdulRasaq for Kwara; Nasir Idris for Kebbi; and Mohammed Umar Bago for Niger.
Last Monday, President Tinubu traveled to Nairobi, Kenya, to attend the 5th Mid-Year Coordination Meeting of the African Union (AU). He then traveled back to Abuja that same day.
As chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of the Heads of State and Government, the President had participated.