Tinubu appoints new special adviser on House of Reps matters

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By Johnbosco Agbakwuru, Abuja

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President Bola Tinubu has appointed Dr. Wasiu Olanrewaju-Smart as special adviser to the president on National Assembly matters—House of Representatives.

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He replaced Hon. Ibrahim Olanrewaju, who resigned to contest for an elective post in his home state.

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Olanrewaju-Smart is an accomplished scholar and public policy expert.

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He holds a PhD in educational management from Lead City University and a master’s in public administration from Harvard University.

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He is an Edward Mason Fellow in Public Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School.

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The forty-year-old policy expert was also a LEAPS Fellow at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and holds a professional diploma in public relations from the London School of Public Relations.

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He was a policy fellow at Quantum Alliance AI, USA, focusing on AI and civic tech.

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His National Assembly career spans from Research and Media Assistant to the Minority/Majority Leader, House of Representatives (7th–8th Assemblies), to Special Adviser, Deputy Chief of Staff, and ultimately the Chief of Staff to the Speaker of the House of Representatives in the 9th and 10th Assemblies.

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Olanrewaju-Smart later joined the presidency in October 2023 as senior special assistant to the president on intergovernmental affairs, a position he held until this new appointment.

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His public policy research portfolio includes work on several landmark legislations, such as the Interest-Free Student Loan Act, among others.

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A statement by the presidential spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, said that the appointment is with immediate effect.

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It further added: “President Tinubu is confident that Olanrewaju-Smart will use his experience, intellect, and commitment to strengthening legislative coordination and relations between the presidency, MDAs, and the House of Representatives.”

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