Biography of Maryam Babangida

Maryam Babangida was a former Nigeria first lady married to General Ibrahim Babangida, she was born in 1948 in Asaba (present-day Delta State),  to Hajiya Asabe Halima Mohammed from the present Niger State, a Hausa, and Leonard Nwanonye Okogwu from Asaba, an Igbo.

She attended her w primary education in Asaba, but later moved to Kaduna where she attended Queen Amina's College Kaduna for her Secondary education.

She graduated as a secretary at the Federal Training Centre, Kaduna. Later she obtained a diploma in secretaryship from La Salle Extension University (Chicago, Illinois) and a Certificate in Computer Science from the NCR Institute in Lagos.

On 6 September 1969, shortly before her 21st birthday, she married Major Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida. They had four children, boys Mohammed and Aminu, and two girls, Aisha and Halima.



After her husband became Chief of Army Staff in 1983, Maryam Babangida became President of the Nigerian Army Officers Wives Association (NAOWA). She was active in this role, launching schools, clinics, women's training centres and child day care centers.

When her husband became head of state in 1985, Maryam Babangida moved with her children into Dodan Barracks in Lagos. She had to arrange for considerable renovations to make the rooms more suitable for formal receptions. Dodan barracks was one of the key locations seized in the April 1990 coup attempt by Gideon Orkar against Ibrahim Babangida, who was present in the barracks when the attack occurred, but managed to escape via a back route.


As First Lady of Nigeria between 1985 and 1993, she turned the ceremonial post into a champion for women's rural development. She founded the Better Life Programme for Rural Women in 1987 which launched many co-operatives, cottage industries, farms and gardens, shops and markets, women’s centres and social welfare programs. 

The Maryam Babangida National Centre for Women's Development was established in 1993 for research, training, and to mobilize women towards self-emancipation.
She championed women issues vigorously.

She reached out to the first ladies of other African countries to emphasize the effective role they can play in improving the lives of their people.


Her book, Home Front: Nigerian Army Officers and Their Wives, published in 1988, emphasized the value of the work that women perform in the home in support of their husbands, and has been criticized by feminists.

Working with the National Council for Women's Societies (NCWS) she had significant influence, helping gain support for programmes such as the unpopular SFEM (Special Foreign Exchange Market) program to cut subsidies, and to devalue and fix the currency. She also established a glamorous persona. Talking about the opening of the seven-day Better Life Fair in 1990, one journalist said "She was like a Roman empress on a throne, regal and resplendent in a stone-studded flowing outfit that defied description..." Women responded to her as a role model, and her appeal lasted long after her husband fell from power.


She died aged 61 from ovarian cancer on 27 December 2009 in a Los Angeles, California hospital. Her husband was at her side as she died.


The Times of Nigeria reported on her death that she was "considered to be one of the greatest women in Africa today"

Biography of Flora Azikiwe

Flora Ogbenyeanu Ogoegbunam Azikiwe was the first lady of Nigeria  from 1963 to 1966, She was born on 7 August 1917 in Onitcha, city in present-day Anambra State to Chief Ogoegbunam, the Adazia of Onitsha (Ndichie Chief) from Ogboli Agbor Onitsha.

She got married to Nnamdi Azikiwe on 4 April 1936. Their wedding was held in James Town, Accra, Gold Coast (present-day Ghana) where her husband was working as the editor of African Morning Post at the time.

She served as the first First Lady of Nigeria from 1 October 1963 to 16 January 1966.
 
She was a member of the Eastern Working Committee of the National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons (NCNC). She was the first Patron of the Home Science Association (HSA), formerly known as Federal Home Science Association.



She died on August 1983. She and her husband had one daughter and three sons.

Biography of Clifford Ordia

Clifford Ordia is a serving Nigerian senator representing Edo Central, He was born on the 19th of May, 1960 in Esan Central Local Government Area of Edo state. He attended Esan Grammar School, Uromi and sat for his WAEC in 1979.

He is a graduate of Ambrose Alli University (then Bendel State University) in the mid 1980s with a degree in Civil Engineering. He also attended Lagos Business School in 2009

He once worked with Shell Petroleum Nigeria Ltd, but resigned in 1991 and formed his own company.

His company is a major player in the construction business.

He contested and won the 2015 Senatorial election, under the platform of  People's Democrativ Party

Biography of Sen. Sam Ominyi Egwu

Sam Ominyi Egwu is a serving senator in Nigeria representing,  Ebonyi North constituency. He was born in 1961 in Dekina LGA, Kogi State.

He attended CNML Primary and Secondary School, Anyigba. He holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from the famous Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria in 1984 with a second class honours (upper division). He obtained his M.Sc at University of Jos in 1985, and PhD in 2003

He served the University of Jos in the Department of Political Science.

His membership of professional bodies includes the Nigerian Political Science Association (NPSA); Association of Political Science (AAPS) Social Science Academy of Nigeria (SSSN); African Studies and the Association (ASA) and the International Political Science Association (IPSA).

Between 2008 and 2010 he served as President of the Nigerian Political Science Association after an earlier stint as Vice-President of the association between 2005 and 2008.


He was Governor of Ebonyi State in Nigeria from 29 May 1999 to 29 May 2007.
He was Federal Minister of Education in December 2008.
He is a member of the ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP) in Nigeria.


His stay as education minister was characterized by ASUU (Academic Staff Union of Universities) and other university union strikes. This led to people demanding for his sack.

He contested and won the 2015 Senatorial election.


He is married and blessed with children.  

Biography of Sen. Emmanuel Paulker

Emmanuel Paulker is a serving Nigeria senator, representing Bayelsa Central constituency, he obtained his WASC in 1973, from Bishop Dimeari Grammar School. A graduate of  Biochemistry from the University of Port Harcourt in 1983. 

A teacher by profession, he was appointed Bayelsa State Commissioner of Lands and Housing 1999-2001. 

After taking his seat in the Senate in June 2007, he was appointed to committees on Industry, Finance and Downstream Petroleum.

He sponsored motions to scrap FERMA and create a Federal Highway Authority instead, and to stop universities from conducting post-JAMB examinations. 

Paulker was among a group of ten Senators who got into trouble in May 2009 over a trip to Ghana where they were said to have been lavishly entertained by oil company executives.

He sought to contest the 2015 Bayelsa state gunbernatorial elections but was disqualified under controversial circumstances. He was disqualified from the governorship race because some members of the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) attended his thanksgiving service.

was elected Senator for the Bayelsa Central constituency of Bayelsa State, Nigeria, taking office on 29 May 2007. He is a member of the People's Democratic Party (PDP).

Biography of Sen. Ben Murray-Bruce

+Ben Murray-Bruce, is a serving Senator, representing Bayelsa east constituency, he was born on February 18, 1956 to Mr Mullighen and Mrs. Margaret Murray-Bruce of the Ijaw ethnic group of Nigeria, a native of Akassa, Bayelsa State, Nigeria. 

He attended Our Lady of Apostles primary school, Yaba, Lagos. and obtained his West African School Certificate (WAEC) at St Gregory’s College, Obalende. Ben Murray-Bruce. He graduated from University of South Carolina, and as awarded a bachelor's degree in Marketing in the year 1979.

A businessman, politician and founder of the Silverbird Group. A member of the People's Democratic Party. 

In 1983, he was the one who promoted the Miss Universe Nigeria Pageant, Miss Intercontinental Pageant 1986-1994 and to date. 

He is the current promoter of the annual Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria Pageant which he started in the year 1986. He served as a Member of the Board of the Nigerian National Arts Theater, Federal Films Censors Board, Nigerian Film Corporation, National Film Distribution Company and Anti- Piracy Action Committee of Nigeria. 

He was the Director General of Nigerian Television Authority between the years 1999 and 2003. 

His passion for show business led him and his wife to established the  defunct Silverbird Magazine in the year 1980 with a loan given to him by his father. 

He single-handedly revolutionized the cinema business in Nigeria, he started the Silverbird Productions with a very little, today, Ben Bruce has built a business empire that is running into several billions of Naira and has provided employments for so many Nigerian youths.

It was on his platform that the winner of Miss World was discovered in the person of Agbani Darego. 

He is the chairman of the Silverbird, a group that has one of the best TV stations in Nigeria known the Silverbird Television. It has a branch in Los Angeles known there as the ‘MAGIC MORNING’.

He joined politics in the year 2011, he contested for the position of governor in his state Bayelsa, was screened out of the gubernatorial race under the umbrella of the People's Democratic Party. 

He later contested and won election in March 2015, as a Senator representing Bayelsa East Senatorial District at the National Assembly under the umbrella of the People's Democratic Party.

He has several awards and recognitions which includes the under listed:

• "Showbiz Icon of the Year Award" (2005)

• "“Top Ten” Significant Nigerian Businessmen Award" (2006)

• "Life Achiever Award" (2006)

• "Champion for Nation Building Award" (2007)

• "Excellent Personality Award" (2009)

• "Officer of the Order of the Niger" (2014)

Biography of Sen. Stella Oduah-Ogiemwonyi

Princess Stella Oduah-Ogiemwonyi is a Nigeria serving senator, representing Anambra North constituency, she was born on January 5, 1962 to Igwe D.O. Oduah of Akili-Ozizor, L.G.A. in Anambra State.

She claimed she obtained her controversial  Bachelors and Masters Degree in Accounting and Business Administration respectively in the United States.

She was a staff of NNPC from 1983 to 1992, she left the NNPC to establish the Sea Petroleum & Gas Company Limited (SPG), an independent marketer of petroleum products in Nigeria..

She bacame Nigeria Minister of Aviation on July 4, 2011, She was however relieved of her duties as Minister of Aviation on 12 February 2014, following a highly inflated purchase of BMW bullet-proof cars for the sum of $1.6 million. without following due process.

She was the campaign's Director of Administration and Finance for former President Goodluck   

There were  allegations that she purportedly lied that she obtained an MBA degree from St Paul's College. However, the News website, SaharaReporters, had on Jan 6th 2014 quoted authorities at St. Paul’s College, where Ms. Oduah claimed she studied for bachelor's and master's degrees, as saying they did not award her an MBA at anytime as the university does not even have a graduate school. 

She contested for the senatorial seat of Anambra North constituency in the 2015 election under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and pulled a total 143 478 to defeat her main rival, Chief Dubem Obaze of All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) who got 70 900.

 She was married to the former Minister for Works, Engr. Chris Ogiemwonyi and has children

Biography of Sen. Emmanuel Nnamdi Uba

Emmanuel Nnamdi Ubais a serving senator, representing Anambra South constituency, he was born on 14 December 1958 in Enugu,EnuguState, Nigeria,  a native of Uga, in the Aguata LGA of Anambra State.

He attended the Boys High School Awkunanaw, Enugu State. Bachelor's degree in Geology from Concordia University in Montreal, Canada, He studied at California State University and then Buxton University, gaining a PhD in Biosciences in 1996.

He worked for the Golden State Mutual Insurance of California (1985–1992).

He was appointed Special Assistant on Special Duties and Domestic Affairs to President Olusegun Obasanjo.

In a September 2003 visit by Obasanjo to the United States, Uba was described as the President's right-hand man, and also the gatekeeper for people who wished to talk to the President.

In 2007 he competed successfully in the PDP primaries for the Anambra State governorship election, and was elected in the 14 April 2007 elections.However, the former governor Peter Obi challenged the election, The courts on 14 June 2007 nullified Andy Uba's election.

In the February 2010 He ran for the office of the Anambra state governor on the platform of Labour party, but only, came out third.

He returned to the PDP and was nominated as PDP candidate for Anambra South Senatorial district in the April 2011 elections and won with 63,316 votes, ahead of Chukwmaeze Nzeribe of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and the incumbent senator Ikechukwu Obiorah of the Accord party'

The election was challenged by Senator Obiora, the Accord candidate, who claimed that Uba had forged his West African School Certificate (WASC) and had not obtained any of the university degrees that he claimed. 

Biography of Sen. Uche Ekwunife

She is a graduate of Business Education/Accounting from the University of Calabar. She went ahead to obtain a masters degree in Business Administration from Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State. She also has a Honorary Doctorate degree in Public Administration. 

Hon. Mrs. Uche Lilian Ekwunife is a current serving senator in Nigeria, representing Anambra Central. She was born eleven months after the Nigerian civil war which ended officially on Jan. 12, 1970. She hails from Nri in Anaocha Local government Area of Anambra State.

 

Before going into politics, Hon. Uche Ekwunife had distinguished herself in the banking industry. As a banker she showed her prowess in money management and brought her administrative acumen to bear on the banks she worked in, including Royal Merchant Bank, Equitorial Trust Bank and the then Standard Trust Bank where she rose to the position of an Area Manager.

She is a resilient and ambitious Banker turned Politician, a two term member of the House of Representatives. 

In her second term in office she was the Deputy Chairman, House Committee on Public Accounts, House of Representatives, where she represented Anaocha/Njikoka/Dunukofia Federal Constituency, Anambra State.

In 2010, she contested in the Anambra State Gubernatorial elections under the platform of the Peoples Progressive alliance(PPA)but lost. She again sought for the seat in 2014 under All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) and unfortunately lost. 

In 2015 however, under the Peoples Democratic Party she contested for and won a seat in the senatorial election to represent Anambra Central Senatorial Zone.

Hon. Uche Ekwunife’s acts of philanthropy remains unparalleled as her charity cuts across youths, widows and the underprivileged. 

She is married to Chief Larry Ekwunife, and they are is blessed with children.