Michael Opeyemi Bamidele
CON
Senate Majority Leader
Assumed office
4 July 2023
Preceded byAbdullahi Ibrahim Gobir
Senator for Ekiti Central
Assumed office
11 June 2019
Preceded byFatimat Raji-Rasaki
Personal details
Born (1963-07-29) 29 July 1963
Iyin Ekiti, Western Region, Nigeria (now in Ekiti State)
Political partyAll Progressives Congress
Alma mater
Occupation
  • politician
  • lawyer

Michael Opeyemi Bamidele CON (born 29 July 1963) popularly known as MOB, is a Nigerian lawyer, human right activist, and politician who is currently serving as the majority leader of the Nigerian Senate since 2023.[1] He has represented Ekiti Central senatorial district in the Nigerian Senate since 2019.[2][3][4]

Early life

Bamidele was born on 29 July 1963, at Iyin Ekiti, a town in Ekiti State, southwestern Nigeria into the family of the late Sir Stephen Ogunjuyigbe Bamidele but spent his early life in Lagos State where he attended Baptist Academy secondary school and then Obafemi Awolowo University where he obtained a bachelor's degree in religious studies.[5] Bamidele later attended the University of Benin where he received a bachelor's degree in law in 1990. Having graduated from the Nigerian Law School, he was called to the bar in 1992.[6]

Bamidele proceeded to Franklin Pierce University where he received a master's degree in law and was called to the New York Bar in January 1999. He was one of the defence counsel, led by Chief Godwin Olusegun Kolawole Ajayi to the Moshood Abiola on his treason trial.[7]

Political life

In June 1992, he contested in the primary elections to the Federal House of Representatives representing Oshodi/Isolo Federal Constituency in Lagos State under the platform of Social Democratic Party but lost.[8] He served as special assistant on legal matters to Senator Bola Tinubu until November 1993 when Nigeria's democracy was truncated by the General Sanni Abacha.[9]

In July 2000, he was appointed senior special assistant on political and intergovernmental relations to the Lagos State governor.[10]

He was later appointed as commissioner for Lagos State Ministry of Youth, Sports and Social Development in governor Bola Tinubu's administration. In April 2011, he was elected as a member of the 7th National Assembly to represent Ekiti Central federal constituency 1. In March 2015, in his article entitled: “My hatred for Asiwaju Bola Tinubu”, criticized the released of The Lion of Bourdilion, a documentary film aired by Africa Independent Television on March 1, 2015, and the role played by the opposition party, in the release of the controversial film.[11]

Previous Offices

  • MHR (June 2011 to June 2015).[12]
  • Honorable Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Lagos State (July 2007 to February 2011).[13]
  • Honourable Commissioner for Youths, Sports and Social Development, Lagos State (July 2003 to May 2007)[14]
  • Special Adviser to the Governor on Political and Inter-Governmental Affairs, Lagos State (July 2000 to May 2003).[15]

Awards and honours

References

  1. ↑ Olufemi, Damilola (4 July 2023). "FULL LIST: 10th Senate principal officers". Punch Newspapers. Retrieved 4 July 2023.
  2. ↑ "Stakeholders seek copyright law reform". The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and World News. 20 August 2019. Retrieved 21 February 2022.
  3. ↑ "Opeyemi Bamidele wins Ekiti Senatorial seat - P.M. News".
  4. ↑ "Bamidele's 2014 gov posters flood Ekiti". The Punch News. Archived from the original on 2 July 2015. Retrieved 1 June 2015.
  5. ↑ "Ekiti 2014: X-Raying The Village Boy Michael Opeyemi Bamidele". The Nigerian Voice. Retrieved 1 June 2015.
  6. ↑ "Opeyemi Bamidele resign as Ekiti Caucus leader". www.thegazellenews.com. Retrieved 1 June 2015.
  7. ↑ "Why Ekiti LP backs Buhari/Osinbajo". The Sun News. Archived from the original on 2 July 2015. Retrieved 1 June 2015.
  8. ↑ "Nigeria: My Hatred for Tinubu". Allafrica.com. Retrieved 1 June 2015.
  9. ↑ "Opeyemi Bamidele". Vanguard News. Retrieved 1 June 2015.
  10. ↑ "Opeyemi Bamidele Returns from the Cold". Thisdaylive. Archived from the original on 29 June 2015. Retrieved 1 June 2015.
  11. ↑ "My hatred for Tinubu, by Bamidele". The Nation. Retrieved 1 June 2015.
  12. ↑ "Home".
  13. ↑ "Home".
  14. ↑ "Home".
  15. ↑ "Home".
  16. ↑ "Home".
  17. ↑ "FULL LIST: 2022 National Honours Award Recipients The Nation Newspaper". 9 October 2022. Retrieved 1 November 2022.
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