-Orders Withdrawal of Official Car, Security
-As Helen Runs to Remi Tinubu for Intervention
-Helen ‘Crops Out’ Father’s Image in Cryptic Social Media Post
The governor of Akwa Ibom State, Governor Umo Eno, has suspended his eldest daughter, Lady Helen Obareki, as the Coordinator, Office of the First Lady, Akwa Ibom State, The Guide Newspaper can authoritatively report.
The governor has also allegedly locked out the daughter from the office of the First Lady and ordered the withdrawal of her official car and security details.
It can be recalled that the governor’s daughter was appointed Senior Special Assistant to the Governor and assigned to coordinate the office of the First Lady following the demise of the governor’s wife, Late Patience Umo Eno.
The transition came after the passing of the late First Lady in September 2024, which left a monumental vacuum in the first family and the state’s administration. Seeking continuity for humanitarian programs, Governor Eno officially designated his daughter to steer the affairs of the office.
“First Ladies are not appointed—they come with the Governor. Our daughter, Mrs. Helen Obareki, has been appointed as Senior Special Assistant to the Governor and assigned to coordinate the office of the First Lady. She worked closely with her mother from the beginning, and it is only fitting that she continues to oversee the important programs of the Office,” Governor Eno clarified in October 2024.
A reliable source in government informed this paper that the governor recently suspended his daughter from the office following prolonged unresolved differences between them.
“The tension has been building up for a while now, and despite several attempts by family elders to reconcile their working relationship, things reached a head, leading directly to the suspension directive,” the source told the Guide Newspaper.
“The suspension has effectively stripped her (Helen) of her coordinating duties at the office, leaving the inner circle of the administration grappling with the sudden fallout within the first family.”
The source further disclosed that in an effort to salvage her standing and seek external intervention, Lady Helen has reportedly run to the wife of Nigeria’s President, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, begging her to step into the matter and mediate between her and the governor.
Senator Remi Tinubu, who shares a known relationship with the family and had previously interacted closely with both the late First Lady and Lady Helen during initial transition visits, has been one of Governor Eno’s most respected political figures since joining the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The Guide Newspaper has also observed that since her suspension, both Lady Helen and her husband, Mr Onoriode Obareki, have been absent from most official state functions and government events.
The suspension also casts a shadow of uncertainty over the future of the late First Lady’s signature pet projects, including the Golden Initiative for All (GIFA), which relied heavily on Lady Helen’s direct supervision for continuity.
The Guide Newspaper further observed that in her social media post on Sunday, October 11, the governor’s daughter, who sat beside her father during a church service, carefully posted only pictures of herself while cropping out images of her father.
The post also included a cryptic message, “If God has brought you this far, there is grace for the journey ahead. His goodness shall speak for you in places where your voice cannot reach.”
As stakeholders wait to see how the executive handles the administrative vacuum left by the suspension, public reactions remain sharply divided across Akwa Ibom State.
While some critics argue that mixing family relations with sensitive government portfolios inevitably invites friction and governance complications, supporters maintain that personal family adjustments should be handled away from public scrutiny.
As of the time of filing this report, official spokespersons for the Akwa Ibom State Government have remained cautiously silent, refusing to issue a detailed public statement on the exact terms or duration of the suspension.
