Makinde Abiola Peter

Abiola Peter Makinde (born 16 August 1973) is a financial management expert and politician. He is a member of Nigeria Federal House of Representatives holding assignment for Ondo East/Ondo West federal constituency of Nigeria's western state of Ondo.

In 2014, President Goodluck Jonathan appointed Makinde National Board Member of Nigeria Literacy Commission and was on the assignment until 2015 when President Jonathan and People's Democratic Party, PDP lost federal power to then opposition All Progressives Congress, APC. Makinde is a grass-root politician and is known for his populist political ideology. He is recognised as empowering the poor and advocating for improved and equal opportunities for the youth earning a nickname “Father of empowerment” for himself.

In 2019, Makinde and his wife, Rhoda were awarded Honorary Doctorate Degree in Business Administration by Global Oved Dei Seminary and University, Florida, USA. In November 2022, he bagged a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Management at Igbinedion University, Okada.

Makinde was born to Chief Ambrose Boluwaji Makinde. His great grandfather, Lisa Akinrinde, was a High Chief and Baale with several villages and districts under his control. Makinde attended primary and secondary schools in Nigeria's commercial city of Lagos. After his secondary education, he enrolled in Ondo State Polytechnic (now Rufus Giwa Polytechnic), Owo for a National Diploma.

In 2000, Makinde enrolled for preliminary courses in Northern Virginia Community College, USA, and was later admitted to the University of Maryland, University College, USA, where he graduated with a bachelor's degree in Computer Information Systems in 2006. He holds a master's degree in Financial Management from the University of Maryland, University College, USA (2009).

In 2013, Governor Olusegun Mimiko appointed Makinde Caretaker Chairman of Ondo West Local Government. He served until 2015. During his term, Dr. Abiola Makinde was awarded the best-performing Local Government Council Chairman in Abuja in 2015. Makinde sponsored five youths from Ondo West Local Government to India for training in bamboo processing.

His political popularity grew from community development and empowerment programs, bringing him closer to grassroots people, earning him the nickname 'Father of Empowerment'. His political profile rose further in 2014 when he became Publicity Secretary of the PDP South-west zone, upgrading his status to a regional politician.

However, he left the PDP in the build-up to the 2019 Nigeria general polls due to internal party crises. He later defected to the newly registered political party, African Democratic Congress (ADC), aiming to secure the Ondo East/Ondo West federal constituency seat in the Federal House of Representatives.

In the 2023 election, Makinde of the APC polled 38,491 votes to defeat Dr. Felix Kehinde of the PDP (15,302 votes) and Mr. Akinbuli Gbenga of the SDP (2,184 votes). He secured 68% of the total votes cast, winning re-election to the Federal House of Representatives. Recently, he facilitated the bill for upgrading Adeyemi College of Education to a Federal University of Education, which was approved by the President.