By Boluwatife Adedokun
Abiodun Abayomi Oyebanji of the All Progressives Congress (APC) emerged Ekiti Governor-elect on June 19, 2022.
Abiodun Oyebanji was sworn in as the Governor of Ekiti State on Sunday, October 16, 2022, after taking the oath of office administered by the Chief Judge of Ekiti State, Justice Oyewole Adeyeye.
Oyebanji following today’s ceremony succeeds Governor Kayode Fayemi who until now was the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum.
While taking the oath, Oyebanji promised the present mammoth of Ekiti People to preserve, defend and protect the office.
Here are 15 things to know about the Ekiti Governor-eEect, Oyebanji:
1. Oyebanji was born on December 21, 1967 in Ikogosi-Ekiti.
2. He is 54 years old.
3. Oyebanji attended Baptist Primary School in Ikogosi-Ekiti, Ekiti State
4. He attended CAC Grammar School in Efon-Alaaye, Ekiti state in 1979, and Awo Community High School. He also attended Federal School of Arts and Science in Ondo State and the District Commercial Secondary School in Aramoko-Ekiti from 1983 to 1985.
6. He is a graduate of Ondo State University, currently known as Ekiti State University from the department of Political Science in 1989.
5. He graduated as a Master holder from Political Science from the University of Ibadan (UI) in 1992.
7. Oyebanji lectured at the Department of Political Science from 1993 to 1999, University of Ado Ekiti, before he started working in the banking sector.
8. He was the secretary of the committee that oversaw the creation of Ekiti State in 1996.
9. Oyebanji also served as one of the key aides to the first democratically elected governor of the state, Otunba Niyi Adebayo.
10. He was a two-term commissioner in Ekiti, under the Ministry of Integration and Inter-Governmental Affairs and Ministry of Budget, Economic Planning and Service Delivery.
11. Oyebanji was the Chief of Staff to the Governor of Ekiti State from 2001 to 2003.
12. He was Head, Office of Transformation Strategy and Delivery (OTSD), Ekiti State from December 2011 to January 2013.
13. Oyebanji was appointed Secretary to the Ekiti State Government on October 16, 2018, and served till December 2021, when he resigned to run for Governorship.
14. His declaration as Governor is one of the earliest in Nigerian history as the result was announced on the night of the election.
15. Oyebanji is married to Professor Oyebanji, a princess in Ado Ekiti and associate professor at the University of Ibadan.
