Dapo Abiodun

Abiodun was born on 29 May 1960 in Iperu Remo, Ogun State, to the royal family of Iperu.[6] He was born into the family of Dr. Emmanuel Abiodun and Mrs. Victoria Abiodun from Iperu Remo, in Ogun East senatorial district.[6][7]

Dapo Abiodun attended Christ's School Ado Ekiti in 1972, St. Joseph's College, Ondo, in 1977, and later Ondo High School, in 1978.[8]

Dapo Abiodun studied Civil Engineering at thes University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University), Ile-Ife, Osun State, and in 1986 graduated with a BBA in Accounting from Kennesaw State University in Atlanta, Georgia.[9]

Abiodun is the managing director/CEO of the Nigerian oil and gas company Heyden Petroleum Ltd (HPL).[10]

Abioduns' political career started in 1998 when he contested and won the Ogun East Senatorial seat on the platform of the defunct United Nigeria Congress Party.[8]

In 2019, he contested and won the governorship ticket of the APC in Ogun State general elections and became the 5th elected Governor of Ogun State.[11] Abiodun won 12 of the 20 local government areas [12]

On assumption of office, the implementation of Building Our Future Together Agenda began and is anchored on Five Development Pillars codenamed I.S.E.Y.A (Infrastrcture, Social wellbeing and welfare, Education, Youth empowerment and job creation and Agriculture).[13]

In 2023, Abiodun released 49 prison inmates who had already served more than 20 years of their respective prison sentences. Some of the prisoners were either elderly or had health problems. He also commuted the death sentences for 3 prisoners to life imprisonment.[14]

In 2018, the TheCable alleged that Abiodun was involved in certificate forgery.[15]

As a result of the Pandora Papers leaks, the Premium Times reported on Abiodun's involvement in two offshore companies known tax haven, the British Virgin Islands. The report noted that Abiodun owned and was the sole director of both Marlowes Trading Corporation and Heyden Petroleum Limited in apparent violation of the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act as neither company was declared when Abiodun was elected governor. Abiodun himself avoided questions on the topic but an associate of Abiodun claimed that the governor had meant to dissolve the companies but didn't notice that they had not been dissolved yet.[16] [17]

In 2022, Sahara Reporters published the criminal record of how Abiodun was jailed in 1986 with jail number 8600B9436 for credit card fraud, petty theft, check forgery and fighting and injuring a police officer in an attempt to resist arrest in Miami Dade Florida, USA under the pseudonym "Shawn Michael Davids".[18] [19]

Abiodun is married to his childhood sweetheart, Bamidele, and they have five children.[20][21]

In 2017, their son, Gbemiga Abiodun (also known as DJ Olu) who was 25, was found dead in his car along with a friend. The cause of death is not known.[22]

In October 2023 Abiodun set up a scholarship scheme for 550 students in memory of his son.[23]

• List of governors of Ogun State