TheCable

Did she jump or was she pushed? Or she jumped before she was pushed?

There are conflicting reports on what actually happened to Omarosa Manigault, erstwhile director of communications for the office of public liaison at the White House.

And there are already speculations on her next move.

TMZ reported: “Sources close to the situation tell us … O believes she’d be a good candidate for an undersecretary position. On the more ambitious side, she’s eyeing an ambassador role with Nigeria… due to her heritage on her father’s side.”

Long-time Trump ties

Donald Trump, the hire-and-fire president of the United States, most likely fired Omarosa, his long-time friend, the Villain of The Apprentice, whom he hired as his White House aide on a salary of $180,000 per year. Trump has fired quite a number of aides so far.

But the news that won’t go away easily is why the only top-level African-American in the White House was fired. What she plans on doing next is growing louder too. The same goes for the talk about her descent.

To be sure, the buzz about Omarosa took over the Nigerian social media circle and traditional media after her exit was made official. This is what TheCable knows about how she came to be a Nigerian.

Omarosa’s Claim to Nigeria

She loves the “gele”

In a 2010 interview with Vibe, an American online publication with heavy focus on music artists, Omarosa revealed her Nigerian heritage.

“My full name is Omorosaonee; it’s a Yoruba name that means, ‘my beautiful child desired.’ My father’s family is Nigerian, my mother is American.”

And before anyone says no, Omarosa drew attention to her facial look to prove she’s a Nigerian.

“I do recognize where I’m from and my lineage,” she said. “I mean you look at my cheekbones, you look at my fierce fighting spirit and attitude—you know exactly where I’m from.”

Omarosa has done everything to create attention around her Nigerian descent, including taking business to the country.

“I went to Nigeria three years ago and did a whole press tour there for about three weeks and helped to launch an Apprentice Africa. It was pretty exciting,” she told Vibe.

The Apprentice Africa referenced by Omarosa was premiered in Nigeria in February 2008. The show that was an adaptation of the original American Reality TV format, The Apprentice, which launched Omarosa to fame, was hosted by Biodun Shobanjo, an advertising guru who has his hands in the famed Insight Communications and Troyka Group.

The show was aired in Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania with 18 contestants from six African countries: Nigeria, Ghana, Uganda, Kenya, Cameroon and Guinea.

Origin of Omarosa Explained

In an undated interview with Kam Williams, published by the US blacknews.com, Omarosa explained the story behind her name when by the reporter asked her to talk about “who’s at the top of your hero list?” “My mother, Mommarosa,” she said. And in response to “what type of names are Omarosa, Mommarosa and Manigault,” with a guess from the reporter as “Haitian”, she said: “No, Nigerian names.”

“Special thanks @Segungele for our amazing wedding Gele!”

Nigerian fashion for White House wedding

Early April, Omarosa posted photos of Nigerian dress and headgear (gele) from her blush wedding to John Allen Newman, a Florida pastor.

The wedding took place at Trump International Hotel in D.C, but she took her photo-shoot to the White House, “catching fellow senior aides and some security officials in her bridal attire,” according to an editorial by the America’s politico.com.

Omarosa thanked her Nigerian stylist, Hakeem Oluwasegun Olaleye a.k.a Segungele in a message on her twitter: @OMAROSA. “Special thanks @Segungele for our amazing wedding Gele!#Naija #HappilyEverNewman,” she wrote.

That post on April 9, turned to a debate. Is she a Nigerian? One of her followers asked, but another twitter handle, MDPhDforTrump @venevite1 whom TheCable believes has clear association with Omarosa promptly responded, “Her father is a Nigerian.”

Ohio, South Carolina and Nigeria

TheCable’s search found high concentration of people associated with Omarosa’s family name, Manigault, in South Carolina and Ohio. Famechain.com reported Jack Thomas Manigault Sr.’s parents: Robert Manigault (father) Gladys Manigault (mother). His siblings are: Jane Manigault, Evelyn Ford, and Dione Eldridge.

What does Wikipedia say?

There are two Wikipedia entries for Omarosa. One completely doesn’t mention Nigeria. The other at http://adam.curry.com/art/1453352249_GQtjLnRk.html, says “Omarosa was born in Youngstown, Ohio. Her father, Jack Thomas Manigault, Sr., was a descendant of the Isoko tribe in Delta State, Nigeria.”