Rita Daniels, mother of Nollywood actress and filmmaker Regina Daniels, has lost her bid to become the President of the Actors Guild of Nigeria, AGN.
She was narrowly defeated by Abubakar Yakubu, the guild’s outgoing National Secretary, in a tightly contested election held on Saturday during the association’s annual general meeting in Benin, Edo State.
Yakubu secured 116 votes, edging out Rita Daniels who polled 113 votes, while three ballots were declared invalid. With this victory, he becomes the first Northerner to lead the AGN since the guild was formed in the 1990s and formally registered in 1998.
A veteran actor and long-serving guild administrator, Yakubu succeeds Emeka Rollas, who had completed his tenure. Yakubu’s long involvement in the AGN includes serving as National Vice President (1994–1995), National Treasurer (2000–2001), Public Relations Officer (2009–2011), and National Secretary (2019–2025).
His entertainment career spans over 25 years across film, television, and stage. He is known for his performances in productions such as Computer Girls (2003), Emotional Pain (2003), and St. Mary (2014). He is also a graduate of Dramatic Arts from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.
The election also produced a new National Secretary, with Ifeoma Okeke taking over the position Yakubu vacated.
Since its establishment, the Actors Guild of Nigeria has grown to more than one million registered members spread across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
Despite this growth, leadership at the national level had always come from the southern region until Yakubu’s emergence.
Past AGN presidents include Larry Williams, Emma Ogugua, Zack Orji, Ejike Asiegbu, Segun Arinze, Ibinabo Fiberesima—who remains the guild’s only female president—and Emeka Rollas.
Also Read: Nwoko exposes syndicate exploiting Regina’s marital crisis
In the build-up to the election, Rollas had publicly urged Rita Daniels to focus on her daughter’s wellbeing amid controversies surrounding Regina Daniels’ marriage to her estranged husband, Senator Ned Nwoko.
In a statement posted on Instagram, he warned that those encouraging her political ambition within the guild were not acting in her best interest or that of the organisation.
“Our Guild must be a safe place,” he wrote, stressing that leaders should not justify harmful behaviours under the guise of celebrity culture.
With the conclusion of the election, members now look ahead to Yakubu’s administration, which is expected to usher in a new chapter for the guild.
The Conclave Nigeria
