Rita Daniels, the mother of popular Nollywood actress Regina Daniels, has failed in her bid to become the President of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN).

The election, held on Saturday during the Guild’s annual general meeting in Benin, Edo State, saw her narrowly defeated by the AGN National Secretary, Abubakar Yakubu.

Yakubu clinched the position with 116 votes, while Rita Daniels followed closely with 113 votes, and three ballots were declared invalid.

His win makes him the first Northern actor to lead the AGN since the Guild was established in the 1990s.

The election outcome comes just weeks after outgoing AGN President Emeka Rollas stirred controversy by stating that Regina Daniels “needs help,” urging Rita to focus on her daughter instead of contesting the leadership position.

Yakubu now succeeds Emeka Rollas in steering the AGN into its next administrative phase.