The sad news of Otunba Alao Akala’s death came as a rude shock to Nigerians when the internet went dark over the sad demise today, Wednesday, 12 January 2022. The news of the death of the Oyo state former governor was the least that was expected as he was seen at some major events just a week ago.
More shocking is the fact that Otunba Akala has been preparing for a grand 70th birthday party for his wife, Madam Florence Akala. The birthday bash was scheduled to hold on Saturday, January 15th, 2021 at Oba Akinyele Avenue, Awosika, Old Bodija, Ibadan, Oyo state.
A source who confirmed the forthcoming event stated that he was actually sewing the Aso Ebi for the birthday bash when he got wind of the sad news on the internet.
Born on the 3rd of June 1950, at Ogbomoso, in the Ogbomoso North Local Government Area of Oyo State, he had his elementary school at Osupa Baptist Day School, Ogbomoso. He proceeded to the Kamina Barracks Middle School, 5th Battalion of Infantry Tamale, Ghana. Passed Staff College (Psc) 1990, Diploma in Business Administration (1998), Doctor of Civil Law (DCL) Honoris Causa, LAUTECH, Ogbomoso (2006), Doctor of Science (Political Science) Honoris Causa, Lead City University, Ibadan (2008).
He was enlisted as Cadet Inspector of Police in June 1974 at the Nigeria Police College, Ikeja. He was recommended for overseas training at the Metropolitan Police Training School, Peel Centre, Hendon, London. He has also attended the Administrative Staff College, Topo, Badagry; the Nigeria Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), Victoria Island, Lagos; Police Staff College, Jos; Command and Staff College, Jaji. He has participated as a Nigerian delegate at 2 INTERPOL Conferences in Nice, France and Malaga, Spain.
From the position of Station Officer in the Nigeria Police, he became Administrative Officer, Federal Operations at the Force Headquarters, Lagos. He later rose to the position of Operations Officer, FEDOPS, Lagos. He became the Personal Assistant to the Assistant Inspector-General of Police and subsequently the ADC to the Inspector-General of Police.
Otunba Alao-Akala held several command positions in the Police Force. He was O/C Advanced Training Wing, Police College, Ikeja; Divisional Police Officer, Bode Thomas, Lagos; Divisional Police Officer, Iponri Police Station, Lagos; Railway Divisional Police Officer, Nigeria Railways, Ebutte Meta, Lagos; Area Commander, Western District, Nigeria Railway Police, Ibadan; CSP Admin. Gongola State Command, Yola; CSP Admin. Kwara State Command, Ilorin; Assistant Commissioner of Police, Agodi Area Command, Ibadan, Oyo State Police Command, Ibadan.
In September 1995, he retired from the Nigeria Police as Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of Logistics and Supply, Oyo State Police Command, Eleyele, Ibadan. Besides public service, Dr Alao-Akala is a businessman. He is the founder and chairman of TDB Global Ventures and Parrot FM radio station, both in Ogbomoso, Oyo State.
He started his political career as a member of the New Dimension. He participated in the zero-party local government election of 1996 and later co-founded the UNP before its fusion with UNC to form UNCP. He participated in the Ogbomoso Federal Constituency (One) primary election of the UNCP in 1997. He contested and won the chairmanship seat of the Ogbomoso North Local Government along with seven councillors under the platform of APP in 1998. He was elected vice-chairman of ALGON, Oyo State Chapter between 1999 and 2002. Alao-Akala founded the Ogbomoso Unity Forum, a political association which later joined the PDP. He was the Chairman of Ogbomoso North Local Government from 1999 to 2002.
He served as Deputy Governor of Oyo State from May 2003 to January 2006. Following the impeachment of then-incumbent Governor (Rashidi Ladoja), Alao-Akala was sworn into office in January 2006 and served for 11 months. In December 2006, the impeachment was overturned by the Supreme Court and Rashidi Ladoja was reinstated. Alao-Akala contested and won the gubernatorial election in 2007 under the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and became the Executive Governor of Oyo State, serving a full term till May 2011.
On 8 December 2014, he defected to the Labour Party in Oyo State from the PDP. On 10 December 2014, he formally declared his intention to re-contest in the gubernatorial election of Oyo State on the platform of the Labour Party in the February 2015 General Elections in Nigeria. During his declaration of intent, all other party gubernatorial aspirants stepped down for him, thereby making him emerge as the Labour Party’s gubernatorial flag bearer in Oyo State. On 16 December 2017, he defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in a huge ceremony in Ibadan, the capital city of Oyo State.
In October 2018, Alao-Akala defected to the Action Democratic Party (ADP) where he won the gubernatorial ticket to contest for the office of Oyo Governor in the 2019 General Elections. After February 23, 2019, Presidential and National Assemblies Elections, Akala defected back to the APC. Thereby stepping down in the race to become Governor of Oyo State under the platform of the Action Democratic Party.
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