Opeyemi Bamidele: Rising from Sug president to Senate Majority Leader

By Biodun Busari

Senator Opeyemi Bamidele representing Ekiti Central Senatorial District emerged as the Senate Majority Leader for the 10th Assembly on Tuesday.

His emergence was announced by the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, who also revealed other principal officers of the Red Chamber.

Here are a few things to know about Bamidele who has been in the Senate since 2011.

1. Bamidele is a 59-year-old indigene of Iyin Ekiti, a town in Ekiti State.

2. He attended Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Osun State where he obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Religious Studies.

3. He also bagged a Law degree from the University of Benin (UNIBEN), Edo State.

4. He graduated from the Nigerian Law School and was called to the Bar in 1992.

5. During his time as an undergraduate, Bamidele was the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Students’ Union Government (SUG) as well as the Chairman of the Students’ Union in OAU and UNIBEN respectively.

6. Though, an indigene of Ekiti, Bamidele lived in Lagos and 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.

7. His passion for politics continued as he served as Special Assistant on Legal Matters to Senator Bola Tinubu from June 1992 until November 1993 when democracy was truncated by the late Gen Sani Abacha.

8. He was one of the defence counsels, led by Chief Godwin Olusegun Kolawole Ajayi to the late Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale (MKO) Abiola on his treason trial in the 90s.

10. Having been called to the Bar in Nigeria, he 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, at the time Nigeria was about to return to this present fourth republic.

11. In July 2000, he was appointed Senior Special Assistant on Political and Intergovernmental Relations to the Lagos State governor, Tinubu.

12. In 2023, he was later appointed as commissioner for the Lagos State Ministry of Youth, Sports and Social Development in Governor Bola Tinubu’s administration. 

13. In 2007, he then gave got another appointment as the Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy.

14. In April 2011, he was elected as a member of the 7th National Assembly to represent Ekiti Central federal constituency.

15. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (Nigeria)  and holds the Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON).