BIRTHDAYS

Rotimi Amaechi

Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, 58 years old, (born 27 May, 1965), is a Nigerian politician, he served as the Federal Minister of Transportation of Nigeria from 2015 to 2022 under the cabinet of President Muhammadu Buhari. He resigned to contest for Nigeria’s presidency under the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). He previously served as governor of Rivers State from 2007 to 2015 and Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly from 1999 to 2007.On 9 April 2022, Amaechi declared his interest to contest in the Presidential election in 2023, he came second in the APC presidential primaries held in June 2022 behind Bola Tinubu with 316 votes from the delegates.

Amaechi was born in Ubima, Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State to the family of the late Elder Fidelis Amaechi and Mary Amaechi. His first and last names are Igbo meaning “God is strength or power” and “who knows tomorrow” respectively. He was raised in Diobu, a densely populated neighbourhood in Port Harcourt.

He had his early education at St Theresa’s Primary School from 1970 to 1976. He earned his West African Senior School Certificate in 1982 after attending Government Secondary School Okolobiri.

Rauf Aregbesola

Mr Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola, 66 years old, (born 25 May 1957), is a Nigerian politician, who is the current Minister of Interior of Nigeria. Before that, he served as the fourth civilian governor of Osun State. He is a native of Ilesa in Osun State.

Aregbesola is a Muslim born into a family of both Muslims and Christians. He had his primary and secondary education in Ondo State. He later attended The Polytechnic, Ibadan, where he studied Mechanical Engineering Technology and graduated in 1980. There have been several dispute about Aregbesola’s professional qualification. The Polytechnic, Ibadan which he attended, awards National Diploma and Higher National Diploma in Mechanical Engineering Technology, therefore a graduate of the school can only be an engineering technologist, according to COREN’s Engineering Cadres in Nigeria.

Joy Emodi

Joy Emodi, 68 years old, (born 23 May, 1955), was elected Senator for the Anambra North constituency of Anambra State, Nigeria, taking office on 20 February 2005 after the election of Emmanuel Anosike was annulled. She was re-elected in 2007, but her second election was appealed by Alphonsus Obi Igbeke, the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) candidate.After protracted hearings, Igbeke was declared the winner on 25 March 2010.

Emodi was born in Onitsha, Anambra State; and is of the Igbo extraction. She attended the Queen of the Rosary College, Onitsha and went on to the University of Nigeria, Nsukka where she earned a B.Sc. in Geography Education (1979), and then an LLB. Law (1985). After further legal training at the Nigeria Law School, Lagos, she became a professional lawyer in 1987.

Eberechi Wike

Eberechi Suzzette Wike, 51 years old, (née Obuzor;) (born 24 May, 1972) is a judge of the Rivers State High Court of Justice. She is married to the current Governor, Ezenwo Wike and is the First Lady of Rivers State since 29 May 2015.

Wike was born Eberechi Suzzette Obuzor in Odiokwu, Ahoada West of Rivers State. She comes from a Christian family consisting of Dr. and Mrs. Obuzor. She attended Rivers State University of Science and Technology, where she received her LL.B. (Hons.) in 1996.

Following her graduation, Wike successfully enrolled in Law School. She achieved the Barrister-at-Law degree (B.L.) in 1997. A year later, she was admitted to the Nigerian bar, eventually commencing practice in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

Wike is a recipient of the Chevening Scholarship award (UK). she also holds a master’s degree in law (LL.M.) from the University of Sussex.

Magnus Ngei Abe

Magnus Ngei Abe, 58 years old, (born 24 May, 1965), is a Nigerian politician, who served as a Senator for the Rivers South East Senatorial District of Rivers State, Nigeria. He was first elected to the Nigerian Senate in 2011 in the April 2011 Federal elections and again in a rerun poll in December 2016. In the 2015 general elections, he had lost a return bid to Senator Olaka Nwogu. Before the poll, like others in Rivers, was invalidated by the court, necessitating a rerun poll. In 2019, Abe was succeeded by Hon. Barry Mpigi.

Magnus Ngei Abe was born in Nchia, Eleme, Rivers State. He attended St. Patrick College, Ikot-Ansa, Calabar and Akpor Grammar School, Ozuoba.

After obtaining an LL.B degree in Law, he was called to Nigerian Bar in 1987, starting work as a Pupil State Counsel for the Federal Ministry of Justice, Lagos. He went into private practice as a junior partner with Okocha & Okocha, Manuchim Chambers, later becoming a managing partner with Etim-Inyang, Abe in Port Harcourt.

Abe entered politics in 1999 when he was elected into the Rivers State House of Assembly, serving as a Minority Leader.

In 2003, he defected to the PDP, and from 2003 to 2007 he was Commissioner for Information in Rivers State in the administration of Governor Peter Odili. When Governor Chibuike Amaechi entered office in May 2007, Abe was appointed as Secretary to the State Government. He resigned to compete for the position of Senator for Rivers South East, but was then re-appointed as the Secretary to Rivers State Government.

In the April 2011 elections, Abe gained 154,218 votes, ahead of Dr. Nomate Toate Kpea of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) with 34,978 votes. Senator Magnus Abe defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) on 29 January 2014.