Unofficial reports claim that Professor Ibrahim Gambari has been appointed as the new chief of staff in Nigeria to replace the recently deceased Abba Kyari.
Although the appointment has not been officially announced by the president or his office, congratulatory messages are already pouring in for the retired diplomat. Even though word on the streets says he is still waiting for an official letter of confirmation, his cousin the Emir of Illorin already released a statement thanking President Muhammadu Buhari “for appointing Professor Ibrahim Gambari as his new chief of Staff” and describing the appointment as a “great honour to the entire people of Ilorin Emirate and Kwarans at large.”
Here’s what we know about Professor Ibrahim Gambari:
- He is from Kwara state. He was born to a Fulani ruling class family. His nephew Ibrahim Sulu Gambari is the Emir of Illorin
- He was born on 24th, November 1944 that makes him 76 by his birthday this year.
- He served as the Minister of External Affairs in Nigeria between 1984 and 1985.
- He became the chairperson of the African Union Commission as Joint African Union-United Nations Special Representative for Darfur in January 2010.
- He was appointed Chancellor of the Kwara State University in 2013 making him the first Chancellor of the university.
- He also the founder/chairman of Savannah Center External link in Abuja, a think-tank for research, training, and public policy debate on the link between diplomacy (conflict resolution), democracy, and development in Africa.
- He served as the Minister for External Affairs between 1984 and 1985 under General Muhammadu Buhari’s military regime.
- He is also the longest-serving Nigerian Ambassador to the United Nations, serving from 1990 to 1999 under five Heads of State and Presidents.
Mallam Abba Kyari was the Chief of Staff to President Buhari before his demise announced on April 17 shortly after testing positive to Covid-19.
