Adeyeye Becomes Senate Chief Whip
Adetokunbo Fakeye
Senator Olusola Adeyeye (APC-Osun Central) has been made the new chief whip of the Nigerian senate.
Adeyeye was nominated for the position by the Senate South West Caucus.
Olusola Adeyeye was born in Ila, Osun State. He attended Obokun High School when it was merged with Ilesa Grammar School. Adeyeye attended the University of Ibadan, where he was the editor of a students’ newspaper.
When the military government of Olusegun Obasanjo lifted the ban on politics in 1978, he worked for the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN), the party of Chief Obafemi Awolowo.
After Awolowo failed to be elected President in 1979, Adeyeye went abroad where he earned his graduate degree. He earned a PhD from the University of Georgia. Adeyeye later became a Professor of Biology at Duquesne University.
Adeyeye married Moji Christianah Adeyeye, and they have two daughters and one son. His wife attended the University of Nigeria, obtaining a BsC in pharmaceutics in 1976, and went on to the University of Georgia where she obtained a Ph.D. in pharmaceutics in 1988.
She is founder of Drugs for AIDS and HIV Patients, a nonprofit organization committed to prevention, education, care and treatment of HIV/AIDS children in Nigeria. Adeyeye is Chief Executive Officer of Elm Pediatric Pharmaceuticals Inc.
Political career Edit
Adeyeye was the Secretary-General of the United Democratic Front of Nigeria (UDFN), an overseas organization that promoted a return to democracy in Nigeria. After returning to Nigeria, Adeyeye was Chairman of Ifedayo local government in Osun State. He was elected a member of Federal House of Representatives in April 2003, representing Boluwaduro/Ifedayo/Ila Federal Constituency, holding office until April 2007. He was among those strongly opposed to allowing President Olusegun Obasanjo run for a third term. The regional tabloid Osun Defender selected Adeyeye as Man of the Year because of his principled stand on this issue.
In the April 2011 election for the Osun Central Senatorial seat, Adeyeye won with 129,527 votes, ahead of runner-up Olagunsoye Oyinlola of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) who received 49,001 votes. His opponent, a former governor of the state, accepted defeat and congratulated Adeyeye on his victory.