Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State in South-west Nigeria has named Babatunde Oduyoye his Special Adviser on Strategy and Political Matters. The appointee is a former student activist, meaning, on the one hand, that he has pedigree and is not coming into the position from nowhere. On the other hand, it means the governor who made the appointee did not fail in due diligence, a major drawback of such appointments across Nigeria.
Gov Makinde
Beyond the background in student activism, the new adviser was Minority Whip of the House of Representatives and former Publicity Secretary of Afenifere, the pan-Yoruba socio-political group.
According to Mr. Taiwo Adisa, the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, the appointment is sequel to approval granted the governor by the State House of Assembly for the appointment of 12 Special Advisers.
Oduyoye is credited with coming to the job with over 30 years of political experience as a national leader of the Alliance for Democracy (AD), an Afenifere chieftain and a former member of the House of Representatives. Educationally, he holds a Masters Degree in Peace and Conflict Studies from the University of Ibadan from where he also took his First Degree in Psychology. That was when he was elected President of the Students’ Union Government of the university between 1985 and 1986.
Oduyoye has not been all politics and nothing else. Additional to serving two terms in the House of Representatives, representing Ibadan North-West/Ibadan South-West Federal Constituency between 1999 and 2007, he also been a businessman and a stakeholder in the Hotel and Tourism industry. Oduyoye is the chairman/CEO of Majerita Ventures Limited; Majerita Hotels and Resorts Ltd and Wawo Stores Limited.
While in the House of Representatives, Oduyoye served in various House committees including Police Affairs, Education, Culture and Tourism and Inter-Parliamentary Union.
