Abiola Ajimobi, the outspoken politician who demanded respect for ‘constituted authority’

Seven decades — that’s all the years that the former governor of Oyo State, Abiola Ajimobi needed to achieve all he’s known for today. In fact, that’s all he asked for.

“I normally tell God that if I clock 70 years of age, that would be enough. My father died two months to his 70th birthday, so I used to say even if I make it to 70, that would be okay. Now that I am 70 and enjoying life, I tell God, ‘Seventy is small’…” he said in a chat on Splash FM a few months ago.

The outspoken politician who would later be referred to as ‘Constituted Authority’ by young Nigerians was for the most part of his life, a purpose-driven and accomplished professional who has been described as an astute administrator.

Born on December 16, 1949, to Alhaji Gani Ajimobi, a tailor who rose to become a councilor in the old Western region and Alhaja Dkirat Abeje Ajimobi, a renowned trader in Ibadan, young Ajimobi started out by attending Saint Patricks Primary School, Oke-Padre in Ibadan. He completed his primary education at Ibadan City Council Primary School, Aperin before proceeding to Lagelu Grammar School for his secondary education.

Ajimobi would go on to study Business Administration and Finance at the State University of New York, Buffalo, New York, USA. He later enrolled for an MBA in Operations Research and Marketing with a concentration in Finance at Governors State University, University Park, Illinois. After completing his studies, he returned to Nigeria and started a career in the oil and gas industry.

He spent 26 years working through the ranks and becoming the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the National Oil and Chemical Marketing Company, a subsidiary of Shell Petroleum, Nigeria.

Before joining politics in 2002, he was regarded as one of the leading executives in the country.

However, his foray into politics seemed to give him a new identity that cast a shadow on his previous accomplishments. Beginning from 2003 when he became the Senator representing Oyo South Senatorial District at the National Assembly, Ajimobi gradually became a controversial figure. This new image was solidified during his tenure as the governor of Oyo state between 2011 and 2019. He ruffled many feathers and always said his mind without biting his lips.

It was during this period that he became infamous among young Nigerians following a protest at Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH). The school had been shut down for over eight months and the students were drawn to anger which sparked a protest in 2017. While addressing the students, Ajimobi said that the government lacked funds, and the students hurled insults at him, which provoked the then governor.

“If you come here shouting at me, I am not going to talk to you. If you came here to start a fight, do go ahead. This government will not tolerate any nonsense from anybody,” he said.

“You have no respect for constituted authority. This is not the first time schools are getting shut. If your school was shut down for eight months, so what?”

“What we’re saying is that some of you should have little respect for constituted authority, no matter what. Whether I pay salaries or… this is the constituted authority for Oyo.”

The exchange earned him the nickname, ‘constituted authority’ and from then onwards, he lost favours with the most vibrant section of the society — the youths.

This was followed by other trails of drama including a mass coronation of 21 traditional rulers and sidelining the Olubadan of Ibadan in August 2017. Many regarded the move as an affront to traditional institutions. These controversies ended up making the rest of his second tenure a watershed.

By the time his tenure was over in 2019, he planned to go back to the senate and have his chosen candidate, Bayo Adelabu replace him as the Oyo governor. He lost out the bid for the senate and his candidate, who all contestant in APC stepped down for also lost the governorship race to Seyi Makinde of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

Following the vote of no confidence, Ajimobi maintained a low profile until he was appointed the Deputy National Chairman (South) by the APC in March 2020. He was on the verge of being appointed the Acting National Chairman of the party in June 2020 following the sack of Adams Oshiomhole.

This was not to be as he died on June 25 at a government-approved private COVID-19 care facility – First Cardiologist and Cardiovascular Consultant Hospital, Lagos after exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19.

Tributes have been pouring in for the ex-governor who was buried yesterday, June 27, in Ibadan. Leading the way after his death was announced, the APC national leader, Bola Tinubu mourned him as an outstanding statesman and one of Nigeria’s most able politicians.

“The pain we feel at his passing is beyond what words can describe. This good and excellent man has left us but his energy, activism and commitment to Nigeria and its people shall always be with us,” he wrote in a statement.

“He died at a time his leadership and experience as an astute administrator is needed. He was a leader who served the people of Oyo State and Nigeria with passion and a total commitment to progressive ideals,” the Governor of Lagos, Babajide Sanwo-Olu shared on Twitter.

Ajimobi is survived by his wife, Florence Ajimobi who he got married to in 1980 and five children.