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Transition: Michelle Obama’s mother, Marian Robinson, dies at 86
Marian Robinson, the mother of former US First Lady Michelle Obama, has died at 86, her family has announced.
In a statement, the Obamas said that Robinson had died “peacefully” on Friday morning.
Robinson was a well-known fixture at the White House during the eight years of Barack Obama’s administration between 2009 and 2017.
She spent much of that time taking care of her two granddaughters, Michelle and Barack Obama’s daughters Malia and Sasha.
In a statement posted on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, Mrs Obama called Robinson her “rock, always there for whatever I needed”.
“She was the same steady backstop for our entire family, and we are heartbroken to share she passed away today,” she wrote.
In a separate tweet, Mr Obama said that “there was and will be only one Marian Robinson”.
“In our sadness, we are lifted up by the extraordinary gift of her life,” he added. “And we will spend the rest of ours trying to live up to her example.”
No further details were given about the cause of death.
Born in 1937, Robinson grew up one of seven children in Chicago, the city where she spent much of her life before agreeing to come to Washington DC after Mr Obama’s electoral victory.
Early in her life, she studied to become a teacher before working as a secretary. She raised Michelle and her other child, Craig, together with her husband Frasier Robinson on Chicago’s South Side.
“At every step, as our families went down paths none of us could have predicted, she remained our refuge from the storm,” the Obama statement said.
“On Election Night in 2008, when the news broke that Barack would soon shoulder the weight of the world, she was there, holding his hand.”
An image taken on the night in 2008 when her son-in-law made history as the nation’s first African-American president showed Robinson sitting on a sofa with him, watching the results come in.
The statement added that Robinson had agreed to move to the White House after a “healthy nudge” from Barack and Michelle Obama, who, along with their daughters, “needed her”.
It was said that she insisted on doing her own laundry there.
In a later interview with CBS, the BBC’s US partner, Robinson said she felt compelled to move to Washington because she felt “like this was going to be a very hard life” for her daughter and son-in-law.
“And I was worried about their safety,” she added. “I was worried about my grandkids. That’s what got me to move to DC.”
Robinson – whom Mr Obama once called “the least pretentious person” he knew – said that it was a “huge adjustment” to have her needs met by White House staff.
“Rather than hobnobbing with Oscar winners or Nobel laureates, she preferred spending her time upstairs with a TV tray, in the room outside her bedroom with big windows that looked out at the Washington Monument,” the family statement said.
“The only guest she made a point of asking to meet was the Pope,” it added.
Trending
‘It’s a Lie’ —Akpabio denies claims he collapsed, hospitalised in London
Nigeria’s 10th Senate president, Godswill Akpabio, dismissed claims that he collapsed and was flown to a hospital in London for treatment.
Kenny Okolugbo, Consultant on Communications and Strategy to the Senate President, said the claim about Akpabio’s health wealth was false.
When contacted by Ekwutosblog on the development, Okolugbo simply said, “It’s a lie, fake news,” without further details.
This comes amid a report on Monday by an online news platform that alleged the Senate president collapsed and was flown on a private jet to London for treatment.
EVENTS
PRESIDENT TINUBU CONGRATULATES SENATOR IFEANYI ARARUME ON HIS BIRTHDAY
President Bola Tinubu felicitates Senator Ifeanyi Godwin Ararume, astute politician and accomplished businessman, on his birthday, December 16.
Senator Ararume’s odyssey in politics began in the late 1980s, when he served as the State Treasurer of the Liberal Convention in old Imo State. He later joined the National Finance Committee of the defunct National Republican Convention.
He represented Imo North in the 9th National Assembly. He was first elected in May 1999 and re-elected in April 2003. He also served on several committees and held other official roles.
President Tinubu commends the former senator for his years of service to the nation and contributions to its peace, unity, and progress.
The President describes Senator Ararume as a resolute and shrewd politician, highlighting his courageous and remarkable political journey through the years.
President Tinubu wishes Senator Ararume a happy 67th birthday and prays that God Almighty will grant him more years of good health and strength.
Entertainment
Daddy Freeze hosts actress Doris Ogala as she opens up on alleged relationship with Pastor Chris Okafor
Daddy Freeze went live with Nollywood actress Doris Ogala as she shared her side of the ongoing controversy involving Pastor Chris Okafor, whom she claims she dated for years before things fell apart.
According to Doris, her relationship with Pastor Chris began in 2017, long before the public drama. She said they met by chance in Abuja and that he told her he was divorced at the time. She also claimed she didn’t even know he was a pastor when they first connected.
Doris said their relationship quickly became serious. She alleged that Pastor Chris introduced her to his parents, invited her to his village in Anambra State, and treated the relationship like a real commitment. She described their bond as emotional, physical, and deeply personal, insisting it was genuine love, not a casual affair.
She further claimed that while Pastor Chris preached publicly, he was privately very dependent on her, calling her often, sharing personal struggles, and even relying on her for medical prescriptions through her doctor.
Addressing why she later married another man, Doris said family pressure played a major role. She explained that her eventual husband was someone from her past who resurfaced during a vulnerable period after her father’s death. Despite not being in love, she said her family pushed her into the marriage.
Doris admitted that while her marriage was ongoing, she remained emotionally connected to Pastor Chris. She openly acknowledged engaging in phone intimacy with him during that period but maintained that there was no physical sexual relationship between them while she was married.
She described her marriage as abusive and toxic, alleging repeated physical violence and emotional distress. According to her, Pastor Chris remained her emotional support during that time, which is why communication between them never completely stopped.
Doris also claimed she has evidence to back up her story, including chats and videos, which she says Pastor Chris later shared with his lawyers.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DSUdp3OjZll/?igsh=OTR2MjZlOG1rbWQy
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