Abiola Ajimobi

Abiola Ajimobi was a Nigerian politician who served as governor of Oyo State from 2011 to 2019, he was the first person elected to the office twice. He was formerly the Managing Director-Chief Executive Officer of the National Oil and Chemical Marketing Company, a subsidiary of Shell Petroleum, Nigeria. He left the oil sector in 2002 after 26 years of meritorious service and was elected in 2003 as a Senator of the Republic of Nigeria representing Oyo South Senatorial District on the platform of the Alliance for Democracy (AD). After one term in the senate, he contested in 2007 for the governorship seat of Oyo state under the banner of the All Nigeria People's Party, a bid which he lost. He contested again in the April 2011 gubernatorial elections under the Action Congress of Nigeria and was elected Governor of Oyo State in a closely contested vote. In 2019, he was succeeded by Oluwaseyi Makinde. After leaving office, he contested the Senate seat of his senatorial district but lost. In June 2020, he was confirmed to have COVID-19 and was announced dead on 25 June. He was known as the Architect of the Modern Oyo State, and he implemented several reforms and projects that improved the state's infrastructure, security, education, health, and economy. He was also a devout Muslim and a philanthropist who supported many causes and individuals. He was married to Florence Ajimobi, a former First Lady of Oyo State, and they had five children and several grandchildren. He was buried in his residence in Oluyole, Ibadan, according to Islamic rites.