The Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Jibrin Barau, has named Professor Muhammad Ibn Abdullahi as Chief of Staff; Professor Bashir Muhammad Fagge, Special Adviser (Policy & Monitoring); and the Deputy General Editor of Daily Trust Newspapers, Ismail Mudashir, Special Adviser (Media & Publicity).
In a statement by his media office, Senator Barau also appointed Idris Abiola Ajimobi, the son of the late Oyo State Governor, Abiola Ajimobi, as Special Adviser (Special Duties); Yusuf Aliyu Tumfafi, Special Adviser (Political); Mrs. Ngozi Ndawi Nkemdirim, a pioneer staff of the National Assembly, Special Adviser (Administration); and Shitu Madaki Kunchi, Special Assistant (Media & Publicity).
Prof Muhammad Ibn Abdullahi, born in Faruruwa, Shanono LGA, Kano State, was until this appointment, the Head of Department, Education, School of Continuing Education of Bayero University Kano (BUK).
The professor of Guidance and Counselling obtained B.A. (Ed)/ Islamic Studies, BUK, M.Ed/Guidance and Counselling (Unijos) and Ph.D. in Guidance and Counselling, BUK.
Bashir Muhammad Fagge, a Professor of Animal Science, hails from Fagge in Fagge LGA of Kano State.
He attended Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto for his B.Sc in Agriculture; and Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University for his M.Sc and Ph.D.
He served as the Provost of the Federal College of Education Technical, Bichi, Kano State between 2015 and 2023. He was a member of the Senior Executive Course 40 of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru, Jos, Plateau State.
Ismail Mudashir, who hails from Kwara State, was born in Zamfara State. Until this appointment, he was the Deputy General Editor of the Daily Trust Newspapers.
While in Daily Trust, he held various positions including, Regional Editor (Kano), Group Politics Editor, State House correspondent and head of the National Assembly. He started his journalism career in 2003 at the New Nigerian Newspapers (NNN), Kaduna.
He studied Mass Communication at the Federal Polytechnic, Offa, Kwara State; Kaduna Polytechnic; Bayero University Kano; and Jamia Millia Islamia University, New Delhi, India, for his undergraduate and postgraduate studies.
Idris Abiola Ajimobi, the son of the late Oyo State Governor, Abiola Ajimobi, had his primary and secondary education in Nigeria before moving to England, where he furthered his studies and graduated with a degree in Business Management in 2004. He also obtained a Master’s degree in International Relations in London.
Mrs. Ngozi Ndawi Nkemdirim, who was born in Jos, Plateau State, hails from Imo State. The graduate of the University of Calabar, Cross River State, has three decades of experience at the National Assembly.
Until her appointment, she was the Director, Journals and Procedure of the Senate. In 2008, she obtained a Master’s in International Administration from the London Metropolitan University, UK. She has attended various training on legislative drafting and parliamentary procedure.
Barau, who represents Kano North Senatorial District, said the appointees were selected based on their track records in their respective professions. He said the appointments take immediate effect.