Bamidele Michael Opeyemi

APC✓ WON

Election2023 Nigerian Senate Elections →

RaceEkiti race →

StateEkiti →

PartyAll Progressives Congress (APC) →

Born29 July 1963 (age 62)

GenderMale

EducationObafemi Awolowo University, University of Benin, Baptist Academy

BirthplaceEkiti State

OccupationLawyer

QualificationALL SAINTS PRY. SCHOOL, OWODE EGBA , OGUN STATE EGBA OWODE GRAMMAR SCHOOL, OWODE EGBA, OGUN STATE UNIVERSITY OF IFE, ILE - IFE (NOW O. A U), ILE - IFE)

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2023 House of Representative Elections 2023 Gubernatorial Elections 2023 State Houses of Assembly Elections 2023 Presidential Elections

Summary

Bamidele Michael Opeyemi is a Nigerian politician who contested the 2023 Nigerian Senate Elections as the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in Ekiti.

Biography

Michael Opeyemi Bamidele (born 29 July 1963) popularly known as MOB, is a Nigerian lawyer, human rights activist, and politician who is currently serving as the majority leader of the Nigerian Senate since 2023. He has represented Ekiti Central senatorial district in the Nigerian Senate since 2019.

Bamidele was born on 29 July 1963, at Iyin Ekiti, a town in Ekiti State, southwestern Nigeria. He spent his early life in Lagos State where he attended Baptist Academy secondary school and then Obafemi Awolowo University where he obtained a bachelor's degree in religious studies.

Bamidele later attended the University of Benin where he received a bachelor's degree in law in 1990. Having graduated from the Nigerian Law School, he was called to the bar in 1992.

He proceeded to Franklin Pierce University, receiving a master's degree in law and was called to the New York Bar in January 1999. He was one of the defense counsel, led by Chief Godwin Olusegun Kolawole Ajayi, in the treason trial of Moshood Abiola.

In June 1992, he contested in the primary elections for the Federal House of Representatives representing Oshodi/Isolo Federal Constituency in Lagos State under the Social Democratic Party but lost.

He served as a special assistant on legal matters to Senator Bola Tinubu until November 1993. After the truncation of Nigeria’s democracy by General Sanni Abacha, he was appointed senior special assistant on political and intergovernmental relations to the Lagos State governor in July 2000.

Later, he was appointed as Commissioner for Lagos State Ministry of Youth, Sports, and Social Development in Bola Tinubu’s administration. In April 2011, he was elected as a member of the 7th National Assembly to represent Ekiti Central federal constituency 1.

In March 2015, in an article titled 'My hatred for Asiwaju Bola Tinubu,' he criticized the release of The Lion of Bourdilion, a documentary film by Africa Independent Television, and the opposition party’s role in its release.

He served as MHR (Member of the House of Representatives) from June 2011 to June 2015. He was Honorable Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Lagos State (July 2007 to February 2011) and Honorable Commissioner for Youths, Sports, and Social Development, Lagos State (July 2003 to May 2007).

He was also a Special Adviser to the Governor on Political and Inter-Governmental Affairs, Lagos State (July 2000 to May 2003).

Bamidele became a Life Bencher Fellow of the Body of Benchers (Nigeria) and a Chaired Institute of Arbitrators (Nigeria). In October 2022, a Nigerian national honor of Commander Of The Order Of The Niger (CON) was conferred on him by President Muhammadu Buhari.

Party Positions

Policy positions from the All Progressives Congress (APC) party manifesto.

Agriculture

Launches the Irrigate Nigeria Project as a public-private partnership to develop small-scale irrigation and water catchment systems using modern technology to boost agricultural productivity.

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Security & Defense

Will deploy modern aerial surveillance and advanced technology to monitor and deter intrusions into oil pipelines, power stations, and other critical national infrastructure in real time.

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Environment & Climate

Accelerates the environmental cleanup and re-establishment of fisheries and profitable aquacultural activities in the Niger-Delta region to counter violent extremism and poverty-driven disaffection.

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Economy & Trade

Will implement the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) and additional favorable policies to attract investment in deep-water assets within 6 months, including encouraging signature bonus negotiations and royalty reliefs.

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Infrastructure

Creates regional industrial hubs in specific zones (North West, North East, South East, South South, South West, North Central) to focus on labor-intensive manufacturing, with tailored investments (e.g., textiles, dry ports, glass, pottery, solid minerals, regulated mining).

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Enterprise grant support

Work with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to simplify loan processes for commercial banks, mandate federally owned banks to provide low-cost loans to youth-led enterprises, and expand business incubation centers to support youth innovation.

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Energy

Will mandate gas metering equipment on all facilities where gas flaring occurs within 6 months and establish a special enforcement unit to monitor compliance with the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) on gas flaring reduction, with non-compliance leading to financial penalties for affected communities.

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Governance & Reform

Reserve at least 3 cabinet positions for individuals under 40 and 6 more positions for members under the age of 40, and mandate that at least 20% of political appointments to Ministries/Dangomas (MDAs) be reserved for individuals under 40.

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Education

Raises the priority of addressing out-of-school children, establishes a task force to review and strengthen programs like school feeding, and aims to reduce disaffected youth recruitment by violent groups.

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Healthcare

Will establish a network of upgraded, equipped, and staffed general hospitals in every Local Government Area, tertiary facilities in each State, and world-class specialist hospitals in each geo-political zone to improve healthcare accessibility and quality.

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Technology & Digital

Supports the development of MSMEs through partnerships with fintech players to expand access to capital and business development services.

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Reliefs and scholarships

Commits to a conditional income support program requiring recipients to meet human capital goals (school attendance, healthcare, nutrition) in exchange for payments.

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