When talking about individuals of great minds, two names immediately come to mind: Abiodun Abayomi Oyebanji, aka BAO, and Asiwaju Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji, aka AMBO.
Oyebanji is currently the Governor of Ekiti State, actively driving the state toward greater heights. He recently secured the All Progressives Congress (APC) ticket to contest for a second term in the June 20, 2026, Ekiti State governorship election. Oyebamiji, on the other hand, is the immediate past MD/CEO of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA). He resigned on November 14, 2025, to focus on securing the Osun APC nomination in the party primary on December 13, 2025, with the aim of contesting the Osun State gubernatorial election scheduled for August 8, 2026.
Without a shred of doubt, BAO and AMBO are men of integrity, with a strong passion for growth and development. Oyebanji began his professional career as a Lecturer in the Department of Political Science at the University of Ado Ekiti (now Ekiti State University, EKSU), where he worked from 1993 to 1997. He then served as Manager of Treasury and Financial Services at the defunct Omega Bank Plc (now Heritage Bank) until May 1999. Currently, he is active in the agribusiness sector.
For the past two years, Oyebamiji has made significant contributions toward making Nigeria’s inland waterways safe and efficient, while simultaneously boosting revenue generation for the Marine and Blue Economy Ministry. AMBO started his career as an Assistant Manager at the International Banking Division of Wema Bank in 1987. In 1998, he joined Trans International Bank as Senior Manager and rose to Head of Lagos Region as Principal Manager in 2003. In 2005, he became Head of Business Development at Spring Bank’s Corporate Branch in Lagos, and in 2009, he moved to Enterprise Bank as Head of Retail Business. His dedication to community development earned him the appointment of Managing Director/CEO of Osun State Investment Company Limited in 2012.
Both men are also accomplished award winners. Oyebanji has received numerous accolades, including the Distinguished Alumnus Award from the Alumni Association of the then Ondo State University, Ado-Ekiti, and the Certificate of Excellence from the National Association of Political Science Students (NAPSS). Oyebamiji is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Economists of Nigeria, an Associate of the Nigeria Institute of Management (Chartered), a Chartered Banker, and a member of the Nigeria Economic Summit Group. He has also been recognized as the Most Outstanding Commissioner of the Year (2019 and 2020) and won the Outstanding Deposit Performance Award in 2007 at Spring Bank.
In politics, both men have built substantial experience over the years. Governor Oyebanji served in key roles early in his career: Special Assistant on Parliamentary Affairs to the Ekiti State Governor (1999–2000), Special Adviser on Parliamentary Affairs to the Governor (2000–2001), and Chief of Staff to the Governor (2001–2003). Later, he was appointed Chairman of the Governing Board of the Citizenship and Leadership Training Centre, Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development (2009–2010). He also served as Commissioner for Integration and Inter-Governmental Affairs (2010–2011) and Head of the Office of Transformation Strategy and Delivery (OTSD) (2011–2013). BAO additionally served as Secretary to the Ekiti State Government.
Oyebamiji’s political and administrative journey began in 2012 with his appointment as MD/CEO of Osun State Investment Company under Governor Rauf Aregbesola. He subsequently served as Commissioner for Finance. During the 2018 Osun governorship election, he aspired for the governorship under the APC but eventually withdrew. Under former Governor Gboyega Oyetola’s administration, AMBO again served as Commissioner for Finance before being appointed Special Adviser to the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, from where he became MD/CEO of NIWA.
Beyond their official duties, both Oyebanji and Oyebamiji are deeply philanthropic. To mark his 57th birthday, BAO donated N21 million and food items to three special schools and two centers for people with special needs in Ekiti State. He has also empowered numerous citizens financially from his personal funds and supported 48 indigent students with N20 million for business equipment and shop rent. His family annually donates truckloads of food items, such as rice, noodles, and groundnut oil, to vulnerable communities, encouraging other wealthy indigenes to follow suit.
Oyebamiji, too, has demonstrated a strong commitment to philanthropy. He donated a borehole to the NYSC Orientation Camp in Ede, Osun State, and supported the Ede Central Mosque. Over the past decade, he has contributed to the construction of hundreds of mosques and built the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Secretariat in Ikire, his hometown, reflecting his respect for religious diversity. During festive periods, he routinely distributes monetary gifts, cows, rice, cooked meals, and other essential items. At the peak of soaring fuel prices, he launched the Ilerioluwa Free Fuel Distribution Initiative, benefiting at least 15,000 residents, including commercial motorcyclists, ‘Keke Marwa’ operators, and Korope drivers.
Currently, Oyebanji seeks a second term as Governor of Ekiti State, highlighting his achievements and the developmental strides his administration has made. Similarly, Oyebamiji, aspiring for the Osun APC governorship ticket, boasts a distinguished track record as a politician and administrator, notably stabilizing Osun State’s finances and demonstrating executive leadership at NIWA.
May God grant their desires.
● Olorunda wrote from Ile-Ife, Osun State.
