Why Buhari Chose Chuba Okadigbo’s Widow To Head NNPC Board— Presidency

The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adeshina has explained why Margery Okadigbo, was appointed Chairman of the newly constituted Board of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited.

President Muhammadu Buhari had on January 5 appointed Margery Chuba Okadigbo, the Chairman, and Barrister Constance Harry Marshall on the NNPC Board.

The appointment is coming about 19 years after the former lawmaker and a strong ally of the President died of breathing difficulty after campaigning in Kano State in 2003.

But Adesina explained Buhari’s choice of both women in an article titled, ‘PMB: Kind to the living and the dead.’

He said that the appointment is a reward for Okadigbo’s loyalty in 2003 when Buhari contested for the Presidency while the ex-Senate leader was his vice.

He said, “In his first outing in 2003, Buhari ran with the former Senate President, Dr Chuba Okadigbo, as Vice Presidential candidate. They both challenged the result of the election, and were determined to get justice. But in September of that year, Okadigbo died. Very painful.

“Now, 19 years later, who has Buhari made Chairman of the NNPC Ltd Board? Margery, Okadigbo’s widow. “Blessed be he of the Lord, who has not left off his kindness to the living and the dead.”

On Marshall, he explained that the President also honoured her for her father’s role as an ally who backed the President in the 2003 election which he eventually lost.

Marshall was the former National Vice-chairman (South-South) of the All Nigeria People’s Party, who was assassinated in Abuja in 2003 during the Presidential elections.

Adesina explained, “What of Constance Harry Marshall, a relation of Marshall Sokari Harry, a political ally of the then Candidate Buhari in ANPP in 2003.

“A day before Buhari would flag off his campaign in Port Harcourt, Rivers Sade, Marshall, who had decamped from PDP to become National Vice Chairman of ANPP, was assassinated. Painful. And those truly behind the murder were never known.

“Today, 19 years later, Constance Harry Marshall is on the NNPC Ltd Board. Yet, ignorant people say evil of this President. He’s a tyrant, wicked, unforgiving. Really? “Blessed be he of the Lord, who has not left off his kindness to the living and the dead.”