Segun Idowu, Senior Wu Administration Official Under Scrutiny, Resigns In Disgrace

Boston’s Chief of Economic Opportunity and Inclusion, Segun Idowu, has announced his resignation after four years in the role, citing family responsibilities as the reason for his departure.

In a statement, Idowu said his decision was driven by the need to care for his 98-year-old grandmother, whose health has been rapidly declining. He noted that he is the only family member in the city able to provide her care.

“During my tenure, my 98-year-old grandmother has been rapidly declining, leaving me as the only family member in the city to take care of her,” Idowu wrote. “After four years, having to balance her care with the duties of my office has taken its toll. Therefore, I have made the difficult decision to step away from my role and to fully focus on her well-being in this final stretch of her life.”

Idowu’s final day with the city will be Feb. 27.

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu praised Idowu’s contributions in a statement, highlighting his impact on neighborhoods across the city.

“Under Chief Idowu’s leadership, Boston’s neighborhoods have become more vibrant, inclusive, and connected,” Wu said. “Over the last four years, his efforts helped transform systems and make opportunities accessible to all—from filling vacant storefronts through innovative programs to support local businesses, to boosting supplier diversity in City contracting and bolstering wealth building and entrepreneurship throughout Boston’s neighborhoods and Downtown. His work has helped Boston rebound from the pandemic as a thriving city where companies and their employees want to work and live. I’m thankful for his service to the city of Boston and dedication to our community.”

Idowu’s tenure was not without controversy. In July 2025, he was cleared of misconduct allegations after Marwa Khudaynazar, a former chief of staff for Boston’s Police Accountability Office, claimed she had been fired to conceal a scandal involving alleged sexual advances by Idowu.

Khudaynazar and her boyfriend, Chulan Huang, were fired in May 2025 after they were accused of assaulting each other at Huang’s Chinatown apartment. Days later, Boston City Councilor Ed Flynn called for Idowu’s resignation, alleging he failed to provide positive and ethical leadership to employees.

Adding to the public conversation, B87FM’s Notorious VOG offered a pointed response to Idowu’s resignation. While VOG said he acknowledges and respects Idowu’s stated commitment to caring for his grandmother—and spoke from personal experience, having cared for his own ailing grandmother—he criticized what he described as a recurring pattern in which the illness of a family member is cited by Black political figures at moments of heightened political accountability.

VOG said he finds it inappropriate when the health of loved ones is used as a shield from responsibility. Still, he believes Idowu ultimately made the correct decision in stepping down. According to VOG, Idowu had become a political liability for Mayor Wu, and his resignation was long overdue.

Despite being cleared of misconduct, Idowu’s departure now closes a chapter defined by ambitious economic initiatives, sustained scrutiny, and unresolved political tensions within City Hall.