Biden Names Another Nigerian As White House Counsel

The United States President-elect, Joe Biden on Thursday named Nigerian-born Funmi Olorunnipa Badejo as a White House Counsel, AllNews reports. 

Biden announced the appointment of the 26-year-old lawyer and graduate of Berkeley Law College in the U.S along with 20 other members of the office of the White House counsel.

The appointment of Badejo is coming weeks after Biden appointed a Nigerian American, Osaremen Okolo, as his COVID-19 Policy Advisor and  Adewale “Wally” Adeyemo as the assistant secretary of treasury designate.

The office of White House counsel advises the president, the executive office of the president, and the White House staff on legal issues pertaining to the president and the White House.

Badejo is the daughter of Prof Zacchaeus Olorunnipa from Igbo-Bunu, Kabba-Bunu Local Government Area of Kogi State and his brother, Tolu Olorunnipa is currently the White House Correspondent for Washington Post.

According to the statement on the Biden-Harris transition website “Today, President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris announced additional members of the Office of the White House Counsel.

“These experienced and accomplished individuals have a wide range of knowledge from various fields and will be ready to get to work on day one.”

READ ALSO: Biden Calls Trump COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout A 'Dismal Failure'

Badejo has served as a counsel for policy to the assistant attorney general in the Civil Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, Ethics Counsel at the White House Counsel’s Office and Attorney Advisor at the Administrative Conference of the United States during the Obama-Biden administration.

“Olorunnipa Badejo began her legal career as an associate with the law firm of Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP and was Legal Counsel at Palantir Technologies Inc.

"She is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law, Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, and the University of Florida. Originally from Florida, Olorunnipa Badejo lives in Washington D.C. with her husband and son.” 

She was also a general counsel of the House Selected Subcommittee on the Coronavirus crisis which was chaired by James Clyburn, House majority whip.

Badejo is the third Nigerian- American to be appointed by the US president-elect as he set to assume office.

This online news platform had earlier reported that Biden will be sworn in on January 20 as the 46th US president.