Adebayo Alao Akala

Adebayo Alao Akala was a Nigerian politician and police officer who served as the governor of Oyo State from 2007 to 2011. He was also the deputy governor of Oyo State from 2003 to 2006, and the acting governor for eleven months when his boss, Rashidi Ladoja, was impeached. He was the candidate of the ADP in the 2019 governorship election in Oyo State. He died on January 12, 2022, at the age of 71. Alao Akala was born on June 3, 1950, in Ogbomoso, Oyo State. He had his elementary education at Osupa Baptist Day School, Ogbomoso, and his secondary education at Kamina Barracks Middle School, Ghana. He joined the Nigeria Police Force as a cadet inspector in 1974, and rose through the ranks to become a superintendent of police. He also obtained a diploma in business administration from the University of Lagos in 1998. Alao Akala ventured into politics in 1999, when he contested for the House of Representatives under the platform of the All People's Party (APP). He lost the election, but later joined the People's Democratic Party (PDP) and became the running mate of Rashidi Ladoja in the 2003 governorship election. They won the election and were sworn in on May 29, 2003. Alao Akala became the acting governor of Oyo State on January 12, 2006, when Ladoja was impeached by the state assembly over allegations of corruption and mismanagement. He was later reinstated by the Supreme Court on December 11, 2006, and Alao Akala reverted to his position as the deputy governor. In 2007, Alao Akala contested for the governorship of Oyo State under the PDP and won the election. He was sworn in on May 29, 2007, for a four-year term. As the governor, he initiated several projects and reforms in the areas of education, health, infrastructure, agriculture, and security. He also established the Oyo State Security Trust Fund, the Oyo State Road Maintenance Agency, and the Oyo State Education Trust Fund. Alao Akala sought re-election in 2011, but lost to Abiola Ajimobi of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN). He later defected to the Labour Party (LP) in 2014, and contested for the governorship again in 2015, but came third behind Ajimobi and Seyi Makinde of the Social Democratic Party (SDP). He joined the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2017, and became the leader of the party in Oyo State. He contested for the APC governorship ticket in 2018, but lost to Adebayo Adelabu. He then left the APC and joined the Action Democratic Party (ADP), where he became the governorship candidate for the 2019 election. He lost the election to Makinde of the PDP, and returned to the APC in 2020. Alao Akala was married to Kemi Alao-Akala, and they had three children: Olumide, Olamiju, and Olamiposi. He was also a devout Christian and a philanthropist. He died on January 12, 2022, in his hometown of Ogbomoso, after a brief illness. He was buried the same day according to his wishes.