Ogechukwu Nkere emerged as the replacement of Simon Ekpa, Prime Minister of the Biafra Republic Government in Exile (BRGIE).

This was disclosed in a statement personally signed by the US-based Nkere and issued yesterday, Thursday, January 15, 2026.

According to the statement, Nkere was elected unanimously by the cabinet of BRGIE the previous day, January 14.

"Ogechukwu Nkere Elected Prime Minister of the Biafra Republic Government in Exile (BRGIE) On January 14, 2026, the Honorable Ogechukwu Nkere was unanimously elected by the cabinet of the Biafra Republic Government in Exile (BRGIE) to serve as Prime Minister, succeeding Simon Ekpa Njoku, who was relieved of his position by the cabinet," the statement said.

Ekpa is currently in prison after being sentenced in Finland on September 1, 2025.

Prior to his current position, Nkere had previously served as Acting Prime Minister of BRGIE since December 2024, following the detention of Simon Ekpa in Finland.

He also served as BRGIE finance minister and was the organization’s longtime representative in Washington, DC, where he worked closely with the United States government alongside BRGIE’s lobbyists.

"While in the United States, Nkere met with officials in the U.S. government, from Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) to Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA), the second-highest official in the U.S. government in the presidential line of succession.

"Most recently, Nkere signed a lobbying contract with Washington & Madison, LLC, the newly established international services firm founded by longtime BRGIE lobbyist Elias Gerasoulis. The lobbying engagement has received notable international attention," the statement added.

•PHOTO, L-R: BRGIE Finance Minister (currently Prime Minister) and DC representative Ogechukwu Nkere meeting with U.S. Speaker of the House of Representatives Mike Johnson in September 2024. Nkere provided Speaker Johnson a Biafran pin, as well as the Biafra charter.