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LAGOS Lawmaker, OLADIPO AJOMALE Tells City People
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Talks About His Dad, Ex-LAGOS APC Chairman, HENRY AJOMALE
Honourable Oladipo Oluyika Ajomale is not your run of the mill politician. First, he is a lawyer by training and he looks too much of a gentleman to be a politician. And he also appears to be a very prim and proper person, something that rarely goes well with politics. But Honourable Oladipo Ajomale has been able to combine all of these qualities with the ruggedness and tenacity of a politician and molded himself into a perfect package, a perfect blend of what the new breed politician should be like. And from the way he conducts himself on the floor of the House and commands the respect of his colleagues, you can tell he has the potential to become a hugely accomplished politician. And, not many would be surprised to read this. Oladipo Ajomale is a chip off the old bloc. He has learnt from one of the very best. He learned at the feet of his father, one of the most respected politicians in the country today, Chief Henry Ajomale, who is a highly revered APC chieftain in Lagos. Chief Ajomale is currently a member of the prestigious highest decision making body in Lagos State, the Governor’s Advisory Council (GAC).
Meeting his son, Oladipo, for the first time, you immediately get the impression you are meeting a man who is well grounded as a politician and whose standards for performance would be quite impressive. He is also clearly not a man given to frivolities. He represents Oshodi-Isolo Constituency II and within such a short time in the house, barely six months, he has made quite an impression, so much so that he was appointed Chairman, House committee on Judiciary, Public Petitions, LASIEC and Human rights. Two weeks ago, City People’s Senior Editor, WALE LAWAL (08037209290) and NIFEMI KAZEEM had an exciting conversation with this brilliant Lawmaker inside his Lagos House of Assembly office. In this first part of the interview, Honourable Oladipo Ajomale opens up on how much influence his enigmatic father had on his political aspirations before he dived fully into politics. Enjoy first part of the interview.
Let’s start this way, sir. We know a bit about your antecedents. We know you have a father whose image in Lagos politics is as large as they come, but do share with us a bit of your background.
Alright, my name is Oladipo Oluyinka Ajomale and right now to the glory of God, I am the member representing the good people of Oshodi Isolo Constituency II. I am also the chairman presently, House Committee on Judiciary, Public Petitions, LASIEC and Human rights. To the glory of God, I’m blessed with marriage and I have children. First of all, I would like to use this opportunity to thank the Rt. Honourable Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly for finding me worthy to be in such a position because this is actually my first time in the house. It’s not my first try at being a member, but it’s my first time in the house, yet I find myself being in charge of such a powerful committee so I do not take it for granted and I know that he probably sees potential in me. Aside from that, if you look at my background, I’m a Lagosian. I’ve been in Lagos for the most part of my life. I thank God for the opportunity to be educated and be exposed. I schooled in Lagos all my life too. Started from Command Children’s School, Bonny Camp, moved to St. Gregory’s College, where I had my JS 1to 3, from there I went to Lagos State Model College, Badagry, that’s where I had my SSCE and from there I moved to Lagos State University, so I’ve been a Lagosian. I am a Lagos boy all my life, I studied Law. I graduated and moved to the Nigerian Law school in Abuja and that’s where I obtained my degree as a full fledged lawyer. Besides that, I have quite a number of professional affiliation certificates acquired over the years.
I first started my career in the ministry of Justice, Lagos State. From there, I had a little bit of private practice and that’s when I decided to get actively involved in politics because I was one of those young people who thought there’s no point sitting down and complaining about what the government is doing well and what it’s not doing well and what they’re not doing well. I thought that rather than sit down and complain all the time, why don’t I dive into the whole thing, be a part of the system and lets see what changes I can also bring, especially from the youth aspect of things. I started my political career in 2011, that’s when I became really active. But I’ve always been involved in politics in my area. I grew up in Okota, so my ward is Okota as well. Luckily, my dad happens to be one of the leaders in the area politically, so we had a lot of meetings in our compound then, so it was easy for me to blend in. Talking about appointments, I started with the former deputy of Lagos State, Honourable Mrs. Adejoke Orelope Adefulire. She was also a member of this House of Assembly at some point, that’s why I used the term Honourable for her. I was her SA at the time on administrative duty. I worked for her for about three and half years, that’s when I decided to have my first go for the Lagos State House of Assembly. The struggle was intense, but I lost out at that time to Honourable Jude Idimogu. When all of that was over, I got appointed by the then Governor of Lagos, Governor Akinwunmi Ambode to be a commissioned member at the local government service commission. I was representing the largest division in Lagos, which was Ikeja division, I had about 23 local governments and LCDAs. In 2019, I attempted the same Lagos Assembly seat and to the glory of God, we won the primaries, but party leadership and supremacy we must always respect and it was decided that Honourable Jude should go back for his second term, so I had to step down for him. So, 2023, here we are, I give God the glory that I tried again and here I am now representing the people of Oshodi Constituency II.
Tell us, what sort of influence did daddy have on your political aspirations?
Well, first things first, my dad, I must say, is my best friend and my mentor. When I was about to take this decision to go into politics, I took the decision personally on my own. Why I did that is because I see my dad as one of the greatest politicians Nigeria has ever had, not just Lagos but Nigeria as a whole. He is one who is straight forward. He is one who is honest and the integrity is still there and that is why, till tomorrow, his name still stands tall among some other names that we can call in politics. He’s never really had any stain or any blemish and he ensures that he finds solutions the best amicable possible way that guarantees that everybody has a bit of equity. Looking at somebody like that, I realised that you can’t just do all of these things and be successful at it and then your legacy just fades off just like that and I have interest in this politics. The prayer of our parents is that their children supersedes them and take over from where they left off in all that they do. But initially, my dad said no. He didn’t want me to go into politics. My dad said I don’t know if you have a skin tough enough because you will find people who for no reason, just abuse you and say things that are very hurtful, so if you don’t have that tough skin, I don’t want you to get into it. And he was like he wasn’t sure if I was ready. So, it was up to me to prove to him that I know what I’m doing, I know what I’m about to go into and I think I’m ready for it. So, when I lost that first attempt, he actually said, you know what, you should go back to practice, I told you this thing wasn’t as easy as you think. And the most painful part for him was that he could’ve used his position or authority to challenge so many things because he was the chairman of the party in Lagos at the time. But my father is not the type of person who dabbles into things like that to influence the outcome of the process, so because of his integrity, he let it lie. That’s who my father is. He believes that when you work for something yourself without cutting corners to get it, you will be proud of yourself when you eventually get it. So, he’s always been a mentor and a guardian.
Even my legal career, I did it because I admired the way my dad handled his legal activities, my dad is also a lawyer by the way before he started the journey into politics as well. So, I’ve been under his wings, I’ve been under his shadow. The second time I said I was going to contest again, that was when he was proud and he said, you know what, I appreciate your tenacity and I will stand with you all through. But even at that, we had to stand by the decision of the party, even though my father is one of the leaders of the party, a member of the GAC at that. He was like the party is supreme. He respects the institution.
So, you’re saying he made no fuss about it? He didn’t make moves to force things to go your way, using his influence as chairman?
No, he made no fuss about it. He didn’t want to go and meet the governor or influence anything like that. He asked me, we can fight if you want, but I know I’ve also been in situations where the party has also said this is where we want to go and everybody aligned, so I would advise that you too should follow suit, because we’re not people who build institutions and we’re trying to use our hands to destroy it. And I respected that and let it go like that, it’s party decision. So, he’s always been there, guiding, mentoring me. His activities even till today, in my Constituency there, he’s still superior to none. He’s the foremost leader of the whole of Oshodi-Isolo as it is, Constituency 1 and 2. He’s the GAC member representing them there alongside one of our leaders, Baba Taiwo as well. Yeah, so that’s it. But, the most important thing, like I said, he’s my best friend, there’s really nothing I can’t discuss with him, politically and otherwise, even personally too.
