A former speaker of the Oyo state House of Assembly, Rt Hon Kehinde Ayoola died on Thursday after a brief illness.
He died in a private hospital in Ibadan, the Oyo state capital.
Below are 20 notable things about the former Commissioner of Environment and Natural resources in the state.
1. Late Hon. Kehinde Ayoola was from a very humble background; his father was a carpenter while his mum was a beans cake (Akara) seller at Owode market, Oyo.
2. Rt Hon. Kehinde Ayoola (JP) was born at the Methodist Maternity Centre, Ayarabiasa, Ajagba, Oyo on 14th January, 1965.
3. He attended St. Michael’s Primary School, Oke-Ebo and Olivet Baptist High School respectively for his primary and secondary school education, both in Oyo.
4. After his secondary school education, he wanted to join the Nigeria Army though NDA in 1983 but passed his UME exams that same year. Hence he opted for a degree program at the university instead of Army Academy.
5. He gained admission into the University of Nigeria (UNN), Nsukka but only spent a year there before he switched to the then University of Ife by transfer admission in 1984. Where he got his first degree.
6. It must be noted that Kehinde Ayoola’s interest in politics started right from when he was 9.
7. His father was a local leader of Obafemi Awolowo’s Action Group in the ’50s. The father was also a leader of UPN in the 2nd Republic, under the governorship of late Chief Bola Ige in the old Oyo State and was also a Ward Chairman of the Social Democratic Party, SDP.
8. Kehinde Ayoola’s first shot at an elective position was when he contested the Oyo East chairmanship seat in 1997, under the defunct Congress for National Consensus, CNC. Unfortunately he lost the election.
9. He was not discouraged, he contested again in 1999. He won as a honourable to the Oyo State House of Assembly and later became the Speaker.
10. He was awarded Oyo State Best Legislator by the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Oyo State Chapter in 1999.
11. Hon. Kehinde Ayoola was once the National Financial Secretary of the Social Democratic Party, SDP and the Director General of Seyi Makinde’s campaign in 2015.
12. Ayoola was an expert in Animal Science and Environmental Management and Control.
13. He was a Member, Association of Environmental Impact Assesment of Nigeria (AEIAN).
14. He was an orator, a prolific writer and a political strategist.
15. Hon. Kehinde Ayoola was a pastor with New Convenant Church, Apata, Ibadan. He lived with his family at BCJ area of Apata till he breathed his last.
16. He was a football lover; a great supporter of 3SC Football Club of Ibadan and an ardent follower of Arsenal FC of England.
17. His personal interests are Politics, Agriculture and Environment.
18. He has been described by many as one of the intellectually sound and young politicians in Oyo State.
19. Prior to his appointment as the Hon. Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, Ayoola was the Deputy Director General of Makinde’s guber campaign organisation in 2019.
20. His wife, Mrs. Kemi Ayoola is an Associate Professor of Agronomy. She is working at the Institute of Agricultural Research and Training (I.A.R & T), Moor Plantation, Ibadan.
