Adewole Adebayo

Prince Adewole Adebayo was born on January 8, 1972, in Ondo City, Ondo State, Nigeria, within an Ondo royal family tracing lineage back to the 15th century.

He attended St. Stephen Primary School from 1978 to 1983 and later St. Joseph College in Ondo between 1983 and 1989 before pursuing higher education at Obafemi Awolowo University, where he earned a law degree between 1991 and 1997.

After graduating from the Nigerian Law School in Lagos in 2000, Adewole passed his bar exams and later obtained admission to practice as a lawyer. He subsequently studied law in the United States, passing the New York Bar Exams.

Initially working as a litigation lawyer at Tunji Abayomi & Co. in Lagos from its founding until 2002, he established Adewole Adebayo & Co., House of Law, that year. The firm gained recognition from the International Financial Law Firm Review for handling notable cases, including representing Continental Transfert Technique Limited in a legal dispute with Femi Falana (SAN).

In 2006, Adewole was appointed by the United Nations and the Economic Community of West African States as a Commissioner on Liberia’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission. His professional credentials include active status with the State Bar of California and membership in the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators.

Adewole founded KAFTAN TV in 2016, a regional-language news network covering Hausa and Yoruba, broadcasting to over one million viewers across Nigeria. The platform supports an apprenticeship program for young broadcasters, training more than 1,000 individuals in journalism and media production.

Beyond media, he has business interests in agriculture, forestry, and mining—including a large-scale tree-planting initiative in northern Nigeria and operations focused on marble processing in Abuja. Adewole reportedly sponsors over 2,000 young Nigerians in tertiary education and supports community empowerment initiatives nationwide.

Known for his humanitarian efforts, he has provided shelter to displaced persons fleeing religious violence and hosts an annual Christmas marathon in Ondo, attracting participants from across Nigeria and Africa. His involvement in politics began in the early 1990s when he joined the Social Democratic Party (SDP) as a student.

Adewole is active in political advocacy, frequently commenting on governance, security, and corruption issues. He contested the 2023 presidential election for SDP, finishing with 80,267 votes. In May 2026, he was returned unopposed as the SDP’s presidential nominee for the 2027 elections.

Politically aligned with the Third Force movement, Adewole seeks to challenge the dominance of Nigeria’s two-party system (APC and PDP), advocating for inclusive governance and reform.