How Trump’s new Chief of Staff reportedly ‘worked’ for IPOB 

Susie Wiles, recently appointed as Chief of Staff by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, previously co-chaired a lobbying firm that collaborated extensively with the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) in 2019, according to available records.

Following a major election victory over Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump selected his campaign manager, Susie Wiles, to take on the role of Chief of Staff. Wiles’ appointment makes her the first woman to hold this position.

“Susie Wiles just helped me achieve one of the greatest political victories in American history, and was an integral part of both my 2016 and 2020 successful campaigns,” Trump stated in his announcement. “Susie is tough, smart, innovative, and is universally admired and respected. Susie will continue to work tirelessly to Make America Great Again,” he added.

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Wiles’ professional background includes work as a lobbyist for various clients. Until earlier this year, she represented Swisher International, a tobacco company, advocating for its interests in Congress on “FDA regulations,” according to filings with the Senate. She currently co-chairs Mercury Public Affairs, a role she has held since February 2022, and previously worked with Ballard Partners, a lobbying firm founded by Trump ally Brian Ballard.

Her lobbying portfolio includes companies such as Alliance Resource Partners, Bankers Financial Corporation, General Motors, Zeta Global, and Origin Logistics.

Further investigation reveals that IPOB contracted Wiles’ former firm in 2019 to lobby the U.S. Congress and State Department, focusing on “promotion of human rights and democracy” in Nigeria. According to a report from Foreignlobby.com, Mercury Public Affairs had an $85,000 monthly contract with IPOB, although disclosures filed with the U.S. Department of Justice indicated $254,000 in total payments for the previous year.

Trump’s election win has reportedly fueled optimism within pro-Biafran circles for an independent Biafran nation. Following his victory, celebratory messages circulated within Biafran advocacy groups. “President Donald Trump’s victory is an inspiration to Biafrans all over the world,” stated one message in a WhatsApp group associated with the movement.

In response to Trump’s win, Simon Ekpa, a self-declared Biafran prime minister, shared his enthusiasm on X, saying, “As a reemerging nation, the United States of Biafra looks forward to the USA’s commitment to the principles of self-determination and the freedom of people to choose their own form of government.” Another activist posted, “Biafrans is set for exit. We have suffered in the hands of Nigeria terrorist government. Freedom is now.”

The region historically associated with the Republic of Biafra is located in Nigeria’s east and is predominantly Igbo.

In 2020, IPOB claimed that its leader, Nnamdi Kanu, had been invited as a special guest by the Republican Party in Iowa to a Trump campaign event. Four years earlier, Kanu wrote to Trump, who was then president-elect, encouraging him to back Biafra’s pursuit of independence, likening it to Trump’s support for Brexit in the U.K.

(SAHARAREPORTERS)