These are journalists who have carved a niche for themselves in their chosen profession, after putting many years of patriotic service they diversified and joined politics, while some are new in politics and could be regarded as new breed others have served in different capacities and have performed exceptionally well to the admiration of pundits. National WAVES welcome to the world of these pen pushers turned Politicians.
LATEEF JAKANDE
Lateef Kayode Jakande was born in the Epetedo area of Lagos State on the 29th July 1929. His parents are from Omun Aran Kwara State. He studied at the Lagos public school at Enu-Owa, Lagos Island, then at Bunham Memorial Methodist School, Port Harcourt (1934–43). He studied briefly at King’s College, Lagos in 1943, and then enrolled at Ilesha Grammar School in 1945, where he edited a literary paper called The Quarterly Mirror.
In 1949 Jakande began a career in journalism first with the Daily Service and then in 1953 joining the Nigerian Tribune. In 1956 he was appointed editor-in-chief of the Tribune by the owner Chief Obafemi Awolowo. His editorials were factual and forthright, and were treated by the colonial powers with respect. After leaving the Tribune in 1975, Jakande established John West Publications and began to publish The Lagos News. He served as the first President of the Newspaper Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN).
Encouraged by Awolowo, he joined active politics and ran for election as executive governor of Lagos State in 1979, on Unity Party of Nigeria platform. He defeated his opponents, Adeniran Ogunsanya of NPP and Sultan Ladega Adeniji Adele of National Party of Nigeria and was subsequently sworn in as governor. His administration was effective and open and implemented the cardinal policies of his party. He introduced housing and educational programs targeting the poor, building new neighbourhood primary and secondary schools and providing free primary and secondary education. He established the Lagos State University. Jakande’s government constructed over 30,000 housing units. The schools and housing units were built cheaply, but were of great value.
To fund some of the projects, Jakande increased the tenement rates and price of plots of land in affluent areas of Victoria Island and Lekki Peninsula and the processing fees for lottery, pools and gaming licenses. He also completed the construction of the General Hospital in Gbagada and Ikorodu and built about 20 health centres within the state. As a governor, he established 23 local government councils which were later disbanded by the military. He also started a metroline project to facilitate mass transit. The project was halted and his tenure as Governor ended when the military seized power on 31 December 1983.
After the military take-over in 1983, Jakande was charged, prosecuted and convicted of treason, although later he was pardoned. After being freed, he accepted the position of Minister of Works under the Sani Abacha military regime, which earned him some criticism. He claimed that he had accepted the post under pressure from M. K. O. Abiola and other progressive leaders. In a later interview, he said he had no regrets about the decision to serve. However, his association with Abacha handicapped his career in politics after the restoration of democracy in 1999.
OLUSEGUN OSOBA
Chief Olusegun Osoba attended a series of professional courses after high school graduation from Methodist Boys High School Lagos. He obtained a diploma in journalism at the University of Lagos and went for one-year course in the United Kingdom on the scholarship of the Commonwealth Press Union in 1967. In 1969, he was studying in Bloomington, USA at the Indiana University’s department of journalism. In 1974 he won the Nieman Fellowship Award for journalism. He studied for postgraduate study at Harvard University Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. He is the first Nigerian to have won this prestigious Nieman Fellowship for Journalism.
Osoba started his career in journalism in 1964 working with the Daily Times as a trainee reporter covering crime stories and by 1966, he was the diplomatic correspondent of the Times. He became news editor in 1968, deputy editor of the Sunday Times in 1971 and deputy editor of the Times in 1972. In August 1975, he became the Editor of the Daily Times of Nigeria, he left the firm in November 1975 to take up the task of General Manager of the Ilorin based Nigerian Herald. He returned to the Times in 1984 as the managing director.
Internationally, he worked as stringer or local correspondent for the following organizations: The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC),The Times of London, Newsweek Magazine, U.S.A, United Press International News Agency (UPI). He was the chairman of the Governing Board of the Nigerian Institute of Journalism and Member of the Executive Board of the International Press Institute representing Black-Africa from 1984-1992. He was a member of the Nigerian Constituent Assembly in 1988. He is also member of the Commonwealth Press Union, London and the Nigerian union of Journalist (NUJ)
Osoba joined politics and was elected on two different occasions as Governor of Ogun State first from January 1992 until November 1993 with the Social Democratic Party (SDP). He was removed from office by Sani Abacha’s administration on 17 November 1993. In 1999, he was elected again as governor with the Alliance for Democracy party (AD), holding office between May 1999 and May 2003.
He holds the National Honours of the Commander of the Order of the Niger CON. He is a member of the National Conference 2014. Chief Osoba is married to Chief Aderinsola Osoba, the Beere Awujale of Ijebu. They are the parents of four children, two boys and two girls: Kemi, Olumide, Oluyinka and Tobi.
Chief Osoba holds the chieftaincy titles of the Akinrogun of Egbaland and the Aremo Awujale of Ijebu and is currently a chieftain of All Progressive Congress (APC)
BABAFEMI OJUDU
Babafemi Ojudu was born on 27th of March 1961 at Ado-Ekiti in Ekiti State. He attended Ado Grammar School in Ado-Ekiti (1973–77). In 1976 he won a scholarship jointly sponsored by activist lawyer Gani Fawehinmi and Jùjú musician King Sunny Adé for indigent students of the state, the start of a long-term friendship with Fawehinmi.
In 1980 Ojudu was admitted to the University of Ife, Ile-Ife to study English. He took an interest in journalism while at university, joining the Association of Campus Journalists and reporting for COBRA, a campus journal. He and two friends founded a journal called The Parrot, which he edited until graduating in 1984. On completing his National Youth Service, Ojudu worked as a reporter at The Guardian while attending the University of Lagos (1985–86), where he studied for a master’s degree in Political Science.
The News magazine was founded, with Ojudu as its first Managing Editor. Gani Fawehinmi assisted in founding the newspaper with a contribution of N25,000. However, when Ojudu much later refused to support Fawehinmi in his campaign against Bola Tinubu, elected Lagos State Governor in 1999, Fawehinmi demanded a refund of this money. The first version of The News did not last long before it was banned by Babangida in 1993.
Years later, when Babangida said he was in interested in running for president in the 2011 democratic elections, Ojudu said that the second coming of Babangida to rule the nation should be resisted by every Nigerian who wanted progress for the country. He said “He does not have anything good to offer us. We have suffered enough in his hands… He is a trickster. Look at how many journalists were killed during his time. Look at what he did to our colleagues (journalists)… Look at what happened to our institutions when he was around. He destroyed the system and he is now seeking to come back. “.
Ojudu was arrested, tortured and detained several times during the Sani Abacha regime (1993–1998). Ojudu was arrested and detained for three days at the notorious Shagisha prison in the outskirts of Lagos on 11 August 1996. The cause was an article in The News about Oil Minister Dan Etete which alleged that Etete was giving government contracts on behalf of the Nigerian State Oil Company to his family and
In addition to his Managing Editor work, both before and after the return to democracy Ojudu has been a member or chairman of several organizations and committees involved in media and human rights. In total, Ojudu spent 26 years in media practice before entering politics in 2010.
Ojudu formally declared that he would run for the Senate in August 2010. He left his post as Group Managing Editor of Independent Communications Network to run for office. The 10 January 2011 primaries for ACN candidate for the Ekiti Central Senatorial seat were held in three of the five local government areas (LGAs) that make up the Senatorial district, and Ojudu won in all three. The primaries for the other two LGAs were rescheduled, but were ultimately not held. The ACN submitted Ojudu’s name to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as their candidate for Ekiti Central. However, on 17 March 2011 a Federal High Court in Abuja issued a judgment that recognized the incumbent Senator Festus Bode-Ola as the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) candidate for Ekiti Central.] The Chairman of the Ekiti State ACN, Chief Jide Awe, accused Bode Ola of forgery in the papers he had filed saying the INEC had recognized him as candidate. On 31 March 2011 the Federal High Court in Abuja set aside its 17 March judgment.
In the April 2011 election for the Ekiti Central Senatorial seat, Ojudu polled 67,747 running on the ACN platform. Labour Party (LP) candidate and former Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose received 29,773 votes. Kayode Alufa of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) received 29,488 votes. After conceding defeat, Alufa congratulated Ojudu, saying: “Our God in his wisdom has chosen you with your experience and good credentials, which I am sure you will deploy for the service and improvement of our impoverished area.
On January 7, 2016 he was named Special Adviser Political Matters by President Muhammudu Buhari.
He recently resigned his appointment to vie for the primaries of the Ekiti State governorship election on the platform of All Progressive Congress APC but withdrew when the primary election ran into a hitch
ABIKE DABIRI
Abike Kafayat Oluwatoyin Dabiri-Erewa, born in Jos, Plateau State. She attended Maryland Private School, Maryland, Ikeja for her primary school education, and St. Teresa’s College, Ibadan for her secondary education. She obtained her first degree in English Language from the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University, OAU) Ile – Ife. She obtained a post graduate diploma (PGD) in mass communication and also a master’s degree in mass communication from the University of Lagos, Akoka. She also studied in the United States at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government.
She is a former member of House of Representatives representing Ikorodu Constituency in Lagos State. She was the Chairman of the House Committee on Media & Publicity.
She was also the former Chair of the House Committee on Diaspora Affairs. She was elected for the first time in 2003, and re-elected in 2007 and 2011
In 2015, she was appointed as the Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora.
Dabiri-Erewa worked for the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) for fifteen years, anchoring the weekly NTA Newsline programme and taking a particular interest in poverty and social justice issues. She retired from her position at Nigerian Television Authority to stand for election in the House of Representatives, winning with a substantial majority. While in this role, she stood against the third term bid of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
DURO MESEKO
He is a former member of House of Representatives and represented Kabba-Bunu/Ijumu). He contested for the position of the National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Meseko, who is the spokesperson of the influential Audu-Faleke political family that upstaged the incumbent Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kogi State during the 2015 governorship election, he was also the image maker of the defunct Albarka Airline. Duro worked with Thisday Newspaper before venturing into politics.
MUHHAMMED GARBA
He was the President of the Nigerian Union of Journalists, NUJ. After his tenure he joined active politics and campaigned for the emergence of the current governor of Kano State, Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State. He was appointed as Commissioner of Information.
Just like he gave a good account of himself as the President of NUJ, Garba is also performing well as Kano State Information Commissioner
KAYODE AKINMADE
Kayode Akinmade was born on Monday 9th January. This journalist turned politician was born in Idanre Local Government Area of Ondo State. He had his primary and secondary school education in the state before proceeding to the old Ondo State University of Ado-Ekiti, now Ekiti State University, where he studied and was awarded the Bachelors of Arts Degree in English and Literary Studies in 1992. He also studied and bagged Masters Degree in Public and International Affairs from the University of Lagos. Hon. Akinmade is also a graduate of the Nigeria Institute of Journalism where he bagged a Post Graduate Professional Diploma in Journalism in 1995. He is also an alumnus of the University of Pennsylvania, USA, where he studied Disputes and Conflict Management. He had earlier attended the Federal School of Art and Science in Ondo town after the completion of his secondary school education.
Akinmade began his professional career in journalism with the News Group where he served as the Lagos State House Correspondent between 1994 and 1996. He resigned his appointment with The News in 1996 to become an Assistant Editor with the now defunct Diet Newspaper till year 2000. Kayode later joined Tribune Group in January 2000 and left the popular print news giant in year 2007 having worked as the Lagos Bureau Chief. He subsequently got appointed as the Special Adviser on Media and Strategy to the former Speaker Federal House of Representatives, Rt. Hon Dimeji Bankole. Akinmade meritoriously served in this capacity till 2010.
He afterwards concentrated efforts on his media enterprise of Connect Communication. The most commendable performance of Akinmade in this initiative earned him great briefs. He was appointed Commissioner for Information in Ondo State by the State Governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko in September 2011. He performed very brilliantly in this capacity to earn reappointment as Commissioner for Information by Dr. Olusegun Mimiko in his second term of office as the Governor of Ondo State.
Akinmade is an Associate Member of the Nigeria Institute of Public Relations (NIPR. He currently indicated his interest to contest for the seat of Idanre/ Ifedore of the Federal Constituency of Ondo State, House of Representatives and pundits are of the opinion that he would emerge victorious on account of his popularity.
CHIJIOKE EDEOGA
Chijioke Jonathan Edeoga is a trained journalist; he worked with several newspapers before joining politics. He is one-time spokesman of the House of Representatives and Special Assistant to President Goodluck Jonathan on National Assembly Matters.
The eloquent journalist turned politician is currently Commissioner for Local Government Matters in Enugu State.
JIMMY ENYEH
Debonair Jimmy Enyeh was born 50 years ago and hails from Ijhere, Ethiope West Local Government area of Delta State. He was born in Lagos and attended St. Isaac Nursery and Tinu Primary School both in Surelere, Lagos State. He thereafter proceeded to Metropolitan College, Isolo, Lagos. For his university education, he attended the prestigious University of Lagos where he studied Mass Communication and Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma where he studied Public Administration.
He cut his teeth as a Journalist 22 years ago and worked as a society writer in different capacities with Goodtime Magazine, Fame Magazine, Marvel Magazine and City People Magazine before setting up National WAVES Magazine 10years ago. He joined politics some months back and currently making great impact having won the heart of those that matter in his constituency.
Enyeh has finalized plans to contest for Delta State House of Assembly Ethiope West Constituency and would rely on the experience acquired over the years to make his dream come to fruition.
JACKSON UDE
Jackson Ude is the publisher of New York Pointblanknews.com. Before he relocated to the United State of America, he worked with some national dailies. He was a Presidential aide during the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan. Trained in the United States and Canada, Ude, a presidential strategist, worked in the Public Affairs Directorate and later with Research, Strategy and Documentation with the late Oronto Douglas. He is member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He recently declared his intention to vie for the Abia State House of Assembly seat
RASHEED OLAWALE
He attended University of Ilorin and hails from Osun State and worked with Tribune as a Journalist; he resigned to set up sahelstandard.com Rasheed Olawale recently joined politics and is currently vying for the governorship position of Osun State.
Some of the profiles culled from wikipedia
