Gboyega Oyetola

Adegboyega Oyetola (born September 29, 1954) is a Nigerian politician and Governor of Osun State. He contested the Osun State gubernatorial candidate on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the September 22, 2018 gubernatorial election and he won. On March 23, 2019 Tribunal declared him to have not been legally returned and orders INEC to issue certificates of return to Senator Adeleke of the PDP which is expected to be contested at the Court of Appeal ^[1] Prior to his winning the election, he was the Chief of Staff^[2] to Rauf Aregbesola, his predecessor.

Early life and education[]

Adegboyega Oyetola was born in Iragbiji, Boripe Local Government Area of Osun State on September 29, 1954. He started his secondary education at Ifeoluwa Grammar School, Osogbo and graduated in 1972.^[3]

Oyetola proceeded to the University of Lagos and graduated with a Bachelor of Science honours degree in Insurance in 1978. He proceeded for his mandatory one year National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in Potiskum, Yobe State, where he lectured at the Staff Training Centre between 1978 and 1979. He obtained his Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Lagos in 1990.^[4]

Career[]

In 1980, Oyetola joined Leadway assurance company Limited as an area manager and worked there till 1987 when he moved on to join Crusader Insurance Company Limited as Underwriting Manager between 1987 and 1990. In 1990, he joined Alliance and General Insurance as Technical Controller and served in that capacity until 1991 when he left the organisation to start his own company, Silvertrust Insurance Brokers Limited. He was Managing Director since its founding until 2011 when he was appointed as Chief of Staff to the Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola.^[3]

Oyetola also served as Executive Vice Chairman, Paragon Group of Companies between 2005 and 2011. He was also Chairman of Ebony Properties Limited. He had been a Director of Pyramid Securities Limited, until 2011, He is an Associate Member, Chartered Insurance Institute in London and Nigeria. He is also a member of the Nigeria Institute of Management (NIM).^[3]

Political career[]

Oyetola was a member of the Alliance for Democracy (AD), and has been in the party through its metamorphosis to Action Congress (AC), Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and now the All Progressives Congress (APC). In July 2018, he contested with Osun state House of Representatives deputy speaker Yusuf Lasun and Speaker of the Osun House of Assembly Nojeem Salaam, Dr Samuel Ibiyemi; Publisher Nigerian NewsDirect Newspapers, Adelere Oriolowo, Moshood Adeoti amongst others for the All Progressives Congress gubernatorial candidacy of the September 22, 2018 gubernatorial election in Osun state and won.^[5] He was sworn in to office on November 27, 2018.^[6] On 22nd of March, 2019, the Election tribunal sitting in Abuja declared that the All progressive Congress and its candidate, Gboyega Oyetola, were not validly returned.

Pandora Papers revelations[]

As a result of the Pandora Papers leaks, the Premium Times reported on Oyetola's undisclosed acquisition of a London mansion from an international fugitive wanted for money laundering, Kola Aluko. The report revealed that an Oyetola-formed offshore company based in the British Virgin Islands, a known tax haven, had bought the house from another British Virgin Islands-based offshore company that was formed by Aluko right before Nigerian authorities were attempting to freeze Aluko's assets. The selling price, £9 million, was much lower than the £17 million that the house was judged to be worth by the Premium Times. Notably, this house is the residence of Bola Tinubu as he is in London for medical treatment.^[7]

Awards and recognition[]

• Distinguished Merit Award by his alma mater, Ifeoluwa Grammar School, Osogbo, February 2014
• The Guardian Award for Exceptional Chief of Staff in the Federation 2017
• Distinguished Award of Excellence in Public Administration by Nigeria Union of Journalists, Osun State Council, August 2015
• Leadership Award for Outstanding Performance by the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), Osogbo Branch, March 2016
• Award of Excellence by Osun State University, College of Law, Ifetedo, January 2016
• Award of Excellence as ICON of Good Governance by Network of Non-Governmental Organisation (NETNOS) State of Osun Branch. November 2017
• Award for Exemplary and Exceptional Support and Fellow of Osun State College of Technology, Esa Oke, January 2017
• Grand Patron of the Local Government Chapel of Osun State NUJ, November 2016
• Leadership Award by International Association of Lions Club, District 404B2, Nigeria, February 2016
• NAOSS-NHQ Award of Excellence in Administration and Good Governance, May 2016
• Award of Excellence in Public Administration by Rotary Club of Osogbo, Rotary International, July 2016
• Meritorious Award by NAOSS, Obafemi Awolowo University Chapter, February 2017
• African Students Union Parliament (ASUP), Pan-African Distinguished Leadership Honour as Icon of Nation Building in Nigeria 2018

References[]