Nigeria will elect governors across 29 States on March 9, 2019.
Here’s all you need to know about the front-line candidates in Ogun and Oyo States:
Ogun State
Adedapo Abiodun (APC)
Dapo Abiodun hails from Iperu-Remo in Ogun State.
He was born on May 29, 1960.
A renowned oil and gas executive, Abiodun has served as a member of various presidential committees and organisations, including the Presidential Think-Tank in 2001.
Abiodun is currently the Managing Director/CEO of Heyden Petroleum Ltd [HPL], one of the largest indigenous players in the downstream, midstream, and upstream oil and gas sector in Nigeria.
He was appointed Chairman, Oil and Gas Committee, Ogun state in 2009; Chairman, Depot and Petroleum Product Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN) in 2012 and also appointed Chairman, Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) in 2018.
Abiodun contested the Ogun East senatorial seat on the platform of the PDP in 2015.
Abiodun is not enjoying the support of Ogun State Governor Ibikunle Amosun, in this race.
Amosun, who became senator-elect on the APC platform, has been openly soliciting votes for Adekunle Akinlade of the APM.
Buruji Kashamu (PDP)
Born on May 19, 1958, Kashamu currently represents the people of Ogun East in the Senate.
Kashamu was arrested in the United Kingdom in 1998 on drugs related charges, after attempting to enter the country with $230,000 in cash.
He was however discharged and acquitted in 2003.
British authorities turned down a Kashamu extradition request from the US owing to identity concerns.
Time and again, however, Nigerian authorities have insisted that they are ready to extradite Kashamu to the US to face drugs related charges.
Kashamu, who was expelled from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in 2018, has been a serving senator since 2015.
Adekunle Akinlade (APM)
49-year-old Akinlade currently represents the people of Egbado South and Ipokia in the House of Representatives.
He was a member of the APC until he realized he couldn’t emerge governorship flag-bearer of the party.
Backed by Governor Amosun who handpicked him as a consensus candidate of one APC faction, before Adams Oshiomhole conducted another primary that produced Abiodun as APC governorship flagbearer, Akinlade moved to the APM.
He is the governor’s candidate in this election.
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Oyo State
Adebayo Adelabu (APC)
Born on September 28, 1970, Adelabu declared to run for the office of Governor of Oyo State on June 20, 2018.
He is the immediate past Deputy Governor (Operations) of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
Adelabu’s grandfather, Adegoke Adelabu, coined the word ‘Penkelemesi.
Penkelemesi is a Yorubanisation of the phrase, "peculiar mess" which Adelabu, famed for his deep knowledge of the English Language, used on one occasion to describe the opposition in the Western Region House of Assembly in the 1950s.
The older Adelabu was a prominent politician in Ibadan and Nigeria's Minister of Natural Resources and Social Services from January 1955 to January 1956. He died in a car crash in 1958.
48-year-old Adebayo Adelabu began his career at PricewaterhouseCoopers. He has worked at Standard Chartered Bank, First Bank and of course CBN.
He is a businessman with investments spanning the agriculture, hospitality and entertainment sectors.
Seyi Makinde
51-year-old Oluwaseyi Abiodun Makinde is a businessman and philanthropist.
He is an Engineer with specialty in fluid and Gas Metering.
Makinde has contested and lost several elections in the past. In 2007, he contested for the Oyo South Senatorial seat on the platform of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and lost to Kamoru Adedibu of the PDP.
In 2011, Makinde aspired for the Oyo South 2011 Senatorial seat but lost the primary election.
In 2014, Makinde went for the Oyo State 2015 governorship ticket on the PDP platform and lost again.
After his 2014 loss, he defected to the Social Democratic Party (SDP), from where he contested the Oyo state governorship election. He lost again.
Makinde returned to the PDP in 2017 and emerged governorship candidate of the party on September 29, 2018.