There are reports that the governor of Akwa Ibom, Umo Eno, wants to transfer the role of the state’s First Lady to his daughter, Helen Eno Obareki and Nigerians have started dragging the governor for “appointing” his daughter. While those reports are not entirely true, Governor Eno himself might be walking down a road that isn’t exactly constitutional.
The Backstory
On September 26, Governor Umo Eno lost his wife, Patience Eno, to a sickness that’s yet to be disclosed. The unexpected death of the First Lady didn’t just throw the governor into a state of mourning, it also left him in a state of confusion – “Who’s going to be the new First Lady of Akwa Ibom?”
Typically, the role of a First Lady is reserved for the wives of governors and presidents. But Governor Eno has told the First Lady of Nigeria, Remi Tinubu, that he has no plan of replacing what he and Patience, who he was married to for 38 years, had.
After cancelling the possibility of his remarrying, he told the First Lady that his daughter Helen would now have to work with “all her mothers” in Akwa Ibom, including the deputy governor and the commissioner for Women’s Affairs.
So is the Akwa Ibom Governor transferring the First Lady role to his daughter?
If you ask Governor Eno, he wouldn’t use the word “transferring” because that would make the role of a First Lady look like Helen’s birthright, wouldn’t it? On Sunday, while at All Nations Christian Ministry in Akwa Ibom State, he explained that the reports claiming that the First Lady role itself has been transferred to his daughter are not entirely true. According to Governor Eno, it’s the duties that are being transferred, not the title.
“First ladies are not appointed. They come with the governor,” he clarified.
So if you’re wondering whether the people of Akwa Ibom would now have to call Helen their First Lady, the short answer is no. The long answer is that her father has given her other titles like the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor and the Coordinator, office of the First Lady.
The late First Lady had programs, like Golden Initiative for All and the ARISE Initiative for the Elderly, which she actively ran before her death. Helen will now be in charge of running these programs and continuing the responsibilities of the deceased First Lady to the women of Akwa Ibom.
Is this constitutionally allowed?
The Nigerian constitution doesn’t officially recognize the office of the first lady, nor does it assign any official role to the president or governor’s wife. It might come as a little bit of a surprise especially since every democratic administration has acted like it’s part of the package. There’s no official appointment or qualification for this role. The only qualification would be a nice ring and a governor or president’s surname.
Even though it’s not a thing constitutionally, there’s no legal barrier to him delegating responsibilities to his daughter in the absence of a First Lady. Remi Tinubu has also shown that she’s in support of Helen taking up this role so nothing is stopping her from being the coordinator of the First Lady’s office.
