Oyetola takes over from Aregbesola in Osun today

Isiaka Adegboyega Oyetola will be sworn in today as the new governor of Osun state, succeeding Rauf Aregbesola, who has completed an eighth-year tenure.

Oyetola is the fifth civilian governor of the state, created in August 1991. Others before him were Isiaka Adeleke, who ruled between 1992 and 1993, Chief Bisi Akande,(1999-2003), Olagunsoye Oyinlola(2003-2010) and Rauf Aregbesola(2010-2018).

The swearing in ceremony will take place at the Osogbo Township Stadium today, with the former governor retiring to Ilesa, his hometown.

Oyetola, the 64 year-old new governor won the post with the smallest margin ever in Nigeria’s governorship elections, defeating the Peoples Democratic Party candidate, Senator Ademola Adeleke, after a run-off with 482 votes.

Adeleke is disputing the verdict at the election tribunal.

The election held on 22 September went into a rerun in some seven polling units. The PDP candidate had led the APC candidate with 353 votes before the rerun.

The difference was wiped out in the rerun, with the Social Democratic Party candidate, Senator Iyiola Omisore, who was the second runner up in the first election, going into alliance with the APC.

The alliance was the game changer as Omisore gave the APC candidate, the votes needed in Ile-Ife to wipe out the PDP candidate’s lead.

Oyetola was born in Iragbiji in Boripe LGA of Osun State on 29 September 1954.

He went to Ifeoluwa Grammar School in Osogbo for his secondary education which he completed in 1972

He was a graduate of University of Lagos and had a B.Sc (Hons) Insurance in 1978 and MBA in Finance in 1990.

He is also an Associate of the Chartered Insurance Institute, London and Nigeria and a Member of the Nigerian Institute of Management.

He started his Insurance Career with Leadway Assurance Company after his NYSC in Maiduguri in 1980 as an Assistant Manager and rose to the position of Area Manager, Control Office, Lagos.

He worked at Crusader Insurance as Underwriting Manager, Corporate Alliance Insurance as Controller Technical before he left to set up Silvertrust Insurance Brokers in 1990. He was on the Board of many companies.

He was the Executive Vice Chairman of Paragon Group of Companies with interest in Oil and Gas, Real Estate, Stock Broking etc. until his appointment as the Chief of Staff to the Governor of the State of Osun.

He is happily married and has children.

Oyetola will be inheriting a load of economic and financial problems in the state, with the state owing workers salaries and pensions to retirees. However, junior workers were consistently paid.

The new governor is expected to deploy his financial skills to overcome the problems.