Oshiomole Adams Aliyu

Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole, born on 4 April 1952 in Iyamho near Auchi in Edo State, is a Nigerian politician who transitioned from trade union leadership to political office.

Raised as a Muslim but converted to Catholicism after his wife Clara’s death, he adopted the Christian name Eric. His education included secondary studies at Ruskin College, Oxford, where he studied industrial relations and labour economics in 1975.

He began his professional career with Arewa Textiles Company, later becoming a full-time trade union organiser by 1975. In 1982, he was appointed general secretary of the National Union of Textile Workers, overseeing over 75,000 members.

After democracy returned in 1999, Oshiomhole became president of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), leading campaigns against rising fuel prices and wage negotiations during Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration. His strikes and protests led to arrests and legislative restrictions on labour actions.

His relationship with Obasanjo soured over local oil refinery neglect, prompting mass demonstrations and legal disputes. He later served as Edo State governor from 2008 to 2016 after a contested election was upheld by courts, winning re-election in 2012.

Oshiomhole emerged as APC’s national chairman in June 2018 but faced suspension attempts in 2020 due to party internal conflicts. The Abuja Court of Appeal affirmed his suspension on 16 June 2020, though he appealed and was later reinstated by a Kano court before the appeal court upheld it again.

He won the 2023 Edo North senatorial election in February 2023, defeating PDP’s Francis Alimekhena, and became a Senate committee chairman in August 2023. His political career spans union leadership, state governance, and national party roles.