Olagunsoye Oyinlola
Encyclopedia
Ọlagunsoye Oyinlọla, alias Omoba, (born February 3, 1951) became governor of Osun State
in Nigeria
in May 2003, and was reelected in 2007. He is a member of the ruling People's Democratic Party
(PDP).
On 26 November 2010 a court of appeals nullified his election.
, in the Odo Ọtin Local Government Area
of Ọṣun State
. His father, Moses Oyewole Oyinlola, was the traditional ruler (Ọba
) of Okuku, reigning from 1934 to 1960.
After leaving secondary school at the age of 18, Ọlagunsoye Oyinlọla enlisted in the army in 1969.
While in the army, Oyinlọla obtained leave to attend the University of Ife, where he obtained a Diploma in International Relations in 1979. He also obtained a Master of Science in Defense Studies in 1988 from the University of Madras
, India. In 1999, Oyinlọla obtained a Masters Degree in Strategic Studies from the University of Ibadan
. In 2003 he obtained a law degree from Buckingham University, United Kingdom.
In April 2004, the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology
, Ogbomoso made him an honorary Doctor of Civil Law. In April 2006, the Federal University of Technology, Minna, made him an honorary Doctor of Science. He has also been conferred with an honourary Doctor of Laws (Osun State University, 2009), LL.D (Honoris Causa) University of Buckingham
- 2005; and honourary Doctor of Civil Laws (Lead City University
Ibadan - 2010)
as a Signals corps private in 1969. He attended the Nigerian Defence Academy
, Kaduna
and was commissioned as an officer in 1971, into the Armoured Corps of the Nigerian Army.
He later trained at the Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji
, the National War College
, Abuja
and various military institutions and academies in India
, United Kingdom
and the United States
.
He served as Troop Leader, Squadron Leader, Battalion Commander, Brigade Commander, Acting General Officer Commanding and Military Administrator. He participated in the United Nations Peace-Keeping exercises in Chad
in 1983 and Somalia
in 1993.
During the administration of General Ibrahim Babangida
(1985–1993), he was either a staff officer or a commander of an armoured unit.
He was appointed the military administrator of Lagos State
from December, 1993 till August 1996, during the subsequent administration of General Sani Abacha
.
In June 1996, Kudirat Abiola, wife of the acclaimed winner of the 1993 presidential election Chief MKO Abiola, was assassinated on the road between his office and that of the Canadian High Commission. In September 2009, a spokesman for the United Action for Democracy
(UAD) accused Oyinlola of being the 'chief conspirator' in the alleged murder.
He retired with the rank of Brigadier-General in 1999.
as a member of the ruling People's Democratic Party
(PDP). He was reelected in April 2007.
He appointed Fatai Akinade Akinbade
as State Secretary in 2003. Akinbade was later to be a contender to succeed Oyinlola as governor.
In an interview in November 2003, Ọlagunsoye Oyinlọla spoke in favor of increased education in Yoruba
, even up to the university level. When asked about the Afenifere
movement, he stated that he would join if it were purely an association of Yorubas, but not if it was just another name for the Alliance for Democracy
(AD) party.
After the 2007 election, the Action Congress
governorship candidate, Rauf Aregbesola
filed a petition with the Independent National Electoral Commission
(INEC) against his victory. The tribunal rejected his petition. Aregbesola appealed the decision, leading to a fresh hearing in June 2009.
In April 2009, Next magazine
reported that Olagunsoye Oyinlola had been caught on tape telling local PDP politicians he would supply army uniforms, arms and ammunition so they could rig the runoff elections in Ekiti State
.
In July 2009, Olagunsoye Oyinlola banned Igbo people
in Osun state from parading themselves as Eze Ndigbo (king of Igbo), in order to protect the Igbo culture and traditional institution from ridicule. At the same time, he sought constitutional responsibilities for traditional rulers in the country.
In September 2009, Oyinlola opened a ceremony at which Modakeke traditional ruler, Oba Francis Adedoyin, was crowned.
On 26 November 2010 the Court of Appeal in Ibadan presided over by Justice Clara Ogunbiyi ruled that Oyinlola had not won the 2007 election and that the Action Congress candidate Rauf Aregbesola
should be sworn in as governor.
Osun State
Ọṣun State is an inland state in south-western Nigeria. Its capital is Osogbo. It is bounded in the north by Kwara State, in the east partly by Ekiti State and partly by Ondo State, in the south by Ogun State and in the west by Oyo State. The state's current governor is Rauf Aregbesola, who was...
in Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
in May 2003, and was reelected in 2007. He is a member of the ruling People's Democratic Party
People's Democratic Party (Nigeria)
The People's Democratic Party is a political party in Nigeria. Its policies generally lie towards the right wing of the political spectrum. It has won every single Presidential elections since 1999, namely: 1999, 2003, 2007, and 2011, and is the dominant party in the Fourth Republic.-History:In...
(PDP).
On 26 November 2010 a court of appeals nullified his election.
Background and education
Prince Ọlagunsoye Oyinlọla was born on February 3, 1951 into a noble family in OkukuOkuku
Okuku is a town in Cross River State, Nigeria. It is one of the major towns in Yala Local Government Area....
, in the Odo Ọtin Local Government Area
Odo Otin
Odo Otin is a Local Government Area in Osun State, Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the town of Okuku.It has an area of 294 km² and a population of 134,110 at the 2006 census.The postal code of the area is 231....
of Ọṣun State
Osun State
Ọṣun State is an inland state in south-western Nigeria. Its capital is Osogbo. It is bounded in the north by Kwara State, in the east partly by Ekiti State and partly by Ondo State, in the south by Ogun State and in the west by Oyo State. The state's current governor is Rauf Aregbesola, who was...
. His father, Moses Oyewole Oyinlola, was the traditional ruler (Ọba
Oba (ruler)
Oba is a West African synonym for monarch, one that is usually applied to the Yoruba and Edo rulers of the region. It is also often used by their traditional subjects to refer to other kings and queens, such as Elizabeth I of England, in their native languages.-Edo account of the word's origin:The...
) of Okuku, reigning from 1934 to 1960.
After leaving secondary school at the age of 18, Ọlagunsoye Oyinlọla enlisted in the army in 1969.
While in the army, Oyinlọla obtained leave to attend the University of Ife, where he obtained a Diploma in International Relations in 1979. He also obtained a Master of Science in Defense Studies in 1988 from the University of Madras
University of Madras
The University of Madras is a public research university in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. It is one of the three oldest universities in India...
, India. In 1999, Oyinlọla obtained a Masters Degree in Strategic Studies from the University of Ibadan
University of Ibadan
The University of Ibadan is the oldest Nigerian university, and is located five miles from the centre of the major city of Ibadan in Western Nigeria...
. In 2003 he obtained a law degree from Buckingham University, United Kingdom.
In April 2004, the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology
Ladoke Akintola University of Technology
Ladoke Akintola University of Technology is a technical university located in Ogbomosho, Oyo State, Nigeria. The university currently enrolls 25,000 students and employs more than 3,000 people.-History:...
, Ogbomoso made him an honorary Doctor of Civil Law. In April 2006, the Federal University of Technology, Minna, made him an honorary Doctor of Science. He has also been conferred with an honourary Doctor of Laws (Osun State University, 2009), LL.D (Honoris Causa) University of Buckingham
University of Buckingham
The University of Buckingham is an independent, non-sectarian, research and teaching university located in Buckingham, Buckinghamshire, England, on the banks of the River Great Ouse. It was originally founded as Buckingham University College in the 1970s and received its Royal Charter from the...
- 2005; and honourary Doctor of Civil Laws (Lead City University
Lead City University
- External Links :**...
Ibadan - 2010)
Military career
Ọlagunsoye Oyinlọla enlisted in the Nigerian ArmyNigerian Army
The Nigerian Army the largest of the Nigerian Armed Forces, has about 100,000 professional personnel. The original elements of the Royal West African Frontier Force in Nigeria were formed in 1900....
as a Signals corps private in 1969. He attended the Nigerian Defence Academy
Nigerian Defence Academy
The Nigerian Defence Academy at Kaduna is the only Military University in Nigeria.The NDA was established in January 1964 as a reformation of the British run Royal Military Forces Training College , which had been renamed the Nigerian Military Training College on independence...
, Kaduna
Kaduna
Kaduna is the state capital of Kaduna State in north-central Nigeria. The city, located on the Kaduna River, is a trade center and a major transportation hub for the surrounding agricultural areas with its rail and road junction. The population of Kaduna is at 760,084 as of the 2006 Nigerian census...
and was commissioned as an officer in 1971, into the Armoured Corps of the Nigerian Army.
He later trained at the Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji
Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji
The Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji is a training facility for the Nigerian Armed Forces, including the army, air force and navy. It is near the village of Jaji, Nigeria, about 35 km northeast of Kaduna in the Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State, Nigeria.-History:The Army...
, the National War College
National War College
The National War College of the United States is a school in the National Defense University. It is housed in Roosevelt Hall on Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C., the third-oldest Army post still active. It was officially established on July 1, 1946, as an upgraded replacement for the...
, Abuja
Abuja
Abuja is the capital city of Nigeria. It is located in the centre of Nigeria, within the Federal Capital Territory . Abuja is a planned city, and was built mainly in the 1980s. It officially became Nigeria's capital on 12 December 1991, replacing Lagos...
and various military institutions and academies in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
He served as Troop Leader, Squadron Leader, Battalion Commander, Brigade Commander, Acting General Officer Commanding and Military Administrator. He participated in the United Nations Peace-Keeping exercises in Chad
Chad
Chad , officially known as the Republic of Chad, is a landlocked country in Central Africa. It is bordered by Libya to the north, Sudan to the east, the Central African Republic to the south, Cameroon and Nigeria to the southwest, and Niger to the west...
in 1983 and Somalia
Somalia
Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
in 1993.
During the administration of General Ibrahim Babangida
Ibrahim Babangida
General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida CFR DSS mni , popularly known as IBB, was a Nigerian Army officer and military ruler of Nigeria...
(1985–1993), he was either a staff officer or a commander of an armoured unit.
He was appointed the military administrator of Lagos State
Lagos State
Lagos State is an administrative division of Nigeria, located in the southwestern part of the country. The smallest in area of Nigeria's states, Lagos State is the most populous state in Nigeria and arguably the most economically important state of the country and west Africa, containing Lagos, the...
from December, 1993 till August 1996, during the subsequent administration of General Sani Abacha
Sani Abacha
General Sani Abacha was a Nigerian military leader and politician. A Kanuri from Borno by tribe, he was born and brought up in Kano, Nigeria. He was the de facto President of Nigeria from 1993 to 1998....
.
In June 1996, Kudirat Abiola, wife of the acclaimed winner of the 1993 presidential election Chief MKO Abiola, was assassinated on the road between his office and that of the Canadian High Commission. In September 2009, a spokesman for the United Action for Democracy
United Action for Democracy
The United Action for Democracy was an opposition group formed in Nigeria during the military regime of General Sani Abacha in 1997, bringing together human rights, environmental rights and smaller pro-democracy organizations....
(UAD) accused Oyinlola of being the 'chief conspirator' in the alleged murder.
He retired with the rank of Brigadier-General in 1999.
Governorship
In April 2003 Ọlagunsoye Oyinlọla was elected governor of Osun StateOsun State
Ọṣun State is an inland state in south-western Nigeria. Its capital is Osogbo. It is bounded in the north by Kwara State, in the east partly by Ekiti State and partly by Ondo State, in the south by Ogun State and in the west by Oyo State. The state's current governor is Rauf Aregbesola, who was...
as a member of the ruling People's Democratic Party
People's Democratic Party (Nigeria)
The People's Democratic Party is a political party in Nigeria. Its policies generally lie towards the right wing of the political spectrum. It has won every single Presidential elections since 1999, namely: 1999, 2003, 2007, and 2011, and is the dominant party in the Fourth Republic.-History:In...
(PDP). He was reelected in April 2007.
He appointed Fatai Akinade Akinbade
Fatai Akinade Akinbade
Alhaji Fatai Akinade Akinbade is a Nigerian politician who became Secretary to the State Government in Osun State. He was a contender to become the People's Democratic Party candidate for governorship of Osun State in the April 2011 elections.-Birth and education:Fatai Akinade Akinbade was born...
as State Secretary in 2003. Akinbade was later to be a contender to succeed Oyinlola as governor.
In an interview in November 2003, Ọlagunsoye Oyinlọla spoke in favor of increased education in Yoruba
Yoruba language
Yorùbá is a Niger–Congo language spoken in West Africa by approximately 20 million speakers. The native tongue of the Yoruba people, it is spoken, among other languages, in Nigeria, Benin, and Togo and in communities in other parts of Africa, Europe and the Americas...
, even up to the university level. When asked about the Afenifere
Afenifere
Afenifere was formed as a socio-cultural organization for the Yoruba people of Nigeria, with Abraham Adesanya as its leader and Chief Bola Ige as deputy leader. Other founding members were Pa Onasanya, Chief Reuben Fasoranti, Adegbonmire, Okurounmu Femi, Ganiyu Dawodu, Olanihun Ajayi, Olu Falae,...
movement, he stated that he would join if it were purely an association of Yorubas, but not if it was just another name for the Alliance for Democracy
Alliance for Democracy (Nigeria)
The Alliance for Democracy was a progressive opposition political party in Nigeria. It was formed on September 9th 1998. At the 2003 legislative elections, 12 April 2003, the party won 8.8 % of the popular vote and 34 out of 360 seats in the Nigerian House of Representatives and six out of...
(AD) party.
After the 2007 election, the Action Congress
Action Congress
The Action Congress of Nigeria , formerly known as Action Congress , is a classical liberal Nigerian political party formed via the merger of the Alliance for Democracy, the Justice Party, the Advance Congress of Democrats, and several other minor political parties in September 2006. The party...
governorship candidate, Rauf Aregbesola
Rauf Aregbesola
Engineer Rauf Aregbesola is a Nigerian politician who ran for governor of Osun State in the 2007 elections.Although the People's Democratic Party candidate Olagunsoye Oyinlola was declared the winner, Aregbesola appealed the decision and on 26 November 2010 was declared the winner.Aregbesola was...
filed a petition with the Independent National Electoral Commission
Independent National Electoral Commission
The Independent National Electoral Commission , set up in 1998, is the electoral body which was set up to oversee elections in Nigeria.The INEC has encountered several controversies in the run-up to the April 2007 general elections, including criticism about its preparedness from Sada Abubakar,...
(INEC) against his victory. The tribunal rejected his petition. Aregbesola appealed the decision, leading to a fresh hearing in June 2009.
In April 2009, Next magazine
Next (Nigeria)
Next is a newspaper in Nigeria that covers news, opinion, arts & culture, business and entertainment.Next is published by Timbuktu Media group, which was founded by Pulitzer Prize winning writer Dele Olojede in 2004....
reported that Olagunsoye Oyinlola had been caught on tape telling local PDP politicians he would supply army uniforms, arms and ammunition so they could rig the runoff elections in Ekiti State
Ekiti State
Ekiti State is a state in southwest Nigeria, created on October 1, 1996 alongside five other new states by military dictator General Sani Abacha...
.
In July 2009, Olagunsoye Oyinlola banned Igbo people
Igbo people
Igbo people, also referred to as the Ibo, Ebo, Eboans or Heebo are an ethnic group living chiefly in southeastern Nigeria. They speak Igbo, which includes various Igboid languages and dialects; today, a majority of them speak English alongside Igbo as a result of British colonialism...
in Osun state from parading themselves as Eze Ndigbo (king of Igbo), in order to protect the Igbo culture and traditional institution from ridicule. At the same time, he sought constitutional responsibilities for traditional rulers in the country.
In September 2009, Oyinlola opened a ceremony at which Modakeke traditional ruler, Oba Francis Adedoyin, was crowned.
On 26 November 2010 the Court of Appeal in Ibadan presided over by Justice Clara Ogunbiyi ruled that Oyinlola had not won the 2007 election and that the Action Congress candidate Rauf Aregbesola
Rauf Aregbesola
Engineer Rauf Aregbesola is a Nigerian politician who ran for governor of Osun State in the 2007 elections.Although the People's Democratic Party candidate Olagunsoye Oyinlola was declared the winner, Aregbesola appealed the decision and on 26 November 2010 was declared the winner.Aregbesola was...
should be sworn in as governor.