Edo State lawmaker Honourable Natasha Irobosa Osawaru Idibia has publicly declared her ambition to become president of Nigeria, delivering the pledge during the 92nd birthday celebrations of her grandfather, billionaire businessman Chief Gabriel Osawaru Igbinedion, the Esama of Benin Kingdom.
Speaking at the ceremony on a date reported as Monday, 14 September 2026, the representative for Egor Constituency paid emotional tribute to the family patriarch. She described him as a blessing to her family and said time spent in his company still moved her deeply.
“I promise you, I will be the President of this country,” Osawaru said. In a longer address she added: “I will make you very proud, I promise you. Today shall be one of the best of your days and more to come. May God bless you, my grandfather. You are like my baby right now, I love you so much.”
Some accounts of the same remarks recorded a sharper version of the pledge, stating that she would become president before he was gone. She also praised the way Chief Igbinedion had grown “sweeter and better” with age.
The setting was personal and ceremonial rather than political. Chief Igbinedion sat in the front row amid gold-themed decor. The moment was not a formal campaign launch or manifesto presentation.
Born on 14 November 1994, Osawaru is a sitting member of the Edo State House of Assembly. She is not a declared candidate for the 2027 presidential election. The Independent National Electoral Commission has already released its final list of presidential tickets for the 16 January 2027 poll, and her name does not appear on it. In May 2026 she secured the Nigeria Democratic Congress ticket to defend her Egor seat. Any presidential bid would therefore belong to a later electoral cycle.
Osawaru’s public profile already extends beyond her constituency. She is the wife of musician Innocent Ujah Idibia, popularly known as 2Baba, and a member of the prominent Igbinedion family of Benin. She studied at Igbinedion University before attending Parsons School of Design in New York.
Supporters have framed the birthday vow as a granddaughter’s affectionate gift to a 92-year-old patriarch. Critics are likely to view it as celebrity-driven politics — a high-profile promise made without an accompanying party structure, national campaign organisation or formal declaration.
The remarks retain force because they blend personal affection with open political ambition. Nigeria’s highest office is ultimately decided at the ballot box and on the campaign trail, not at a family gathering. For now, the pledge stands as a public expression of hope spoken to a grandfather she called her “baby,” and as a reminder that young politicians often first test expansive language among their own.
