Actor Abubakar Yakubu has been elected the new National President of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), securing a narrow victory over rival candidate Rita Daniels, the mother of actress Regina Daniels, in a tightly contested poll held during the Guild’s Annual General Meeting on Saturday in Benin, Edo State.
Yakubu, who previously served as the AGN National Secretary, succeeds Emeka Rollas as the leader of the body representing Nigerian film actors. His victory is historically significant, making him the first Northern actor to lead the Guild since its establishment in the 1990s.
The election results revealed a slender margin of victory: Abubakar Yakubu garnered 116 votes against Rita Daniels’ 113 votes, with three ballots declared void.
The election followed a period of public drama surrounding Daniels’ candidacy. Weeks before the vote, the outgoing President Emeka Rollas had advised Rita Daniels to focus on her daughter’s well-being rather than contesting the election, claiming actress Regina Daniels “needs help” regarding substance abuse issues—a claim Daniels vehemently denied and attacked on social media.
Despite the highly visible opposition and a close race, Yakubu ultimately prevailed, now tasked with leading the Guild through a rapidly evolving Nigerian entertainment industry.
