Ganiyu Olarenwaju Solomon (born 19 December 1959) is a Nigerian politician. He was senator for the Lagos West constituency from 5 June 2007 to 6 June 2015. He is a member of the
Action Congress
The Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), formerly known as Action Congress (AC), was a List of political parties in Nigeria, Nigerian political party formed via the merger of a faction of Alliance for Democracy (Nigeria), Alliance for Democracy, th ...
(AC), now
All Progressives Congress
The All Progressives Congress (APC) is one of the two major contemporary political parties in Nigeria, along with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Founded on 6 February 2013 from a merger of Nigeria's three largest opposition parties, the ...
(APC).
He is a former president of the Rotary Club of Isolo
Early life and education
Solomon was born on 19 December 1959. His father, Alhaji Rafiu Ishola Solomon, was politically influential as a contemporary of the first civilian governor of Lagos State, Alhaji
Lateef Jakande
Lateef Kayode Jakande (23 July 1929 – 11 February 2021) was a Nigerian journalist and politician who served as governor of Lagos State from 1979 to 1983, and later Minister of Works under the Sani Abacha military regime.
Background
Lateef ...
.
Solomon attended Oke-Ona Grammar School,
Abeokuta
Abeokuta is the capital city of Ogun State in southwest Nigeria. It is situated on the east bank of the Ogun River, near a group of rocky outcrops in a wooded savanna; north of Lagos by railway, or by water. , Abeokuta and the surrounding are ...
,
Ogun State
Ogun State is a state in southwestern Nigeria. Created on 3 February 1976 from the former Western State. Ogun State borders Lagos State to the south, Oyo State and Osun State to the north, Ondo State to the east, and the Republic of Benin to the ...
.
He obtained a B.Sc. in political science from the
University of Lagos
The University of Lagos, popularly known as UNILAG, is a public research university located in Lagos, Nigeria and was founded in 1962. UNILAG is one of the first generation universities in Nigeria and is ranked among the top universities in th ...
, and went into a private IT services business. Later he went into the property business, before entering politics during the regime of late General
Sani Abacha
Sani Abacha (20 September 1943 – 8 June 1998) was a Nigerian military officer and politician who ruled as the military head of state of Nigeria from 1993 until his death in 1998. He seized power on 17 November 1993 in the last successful c ...
.
[
]
Political career
He was elected into the Lagos State House of Assembly on the Democratic Party of Nigeria
The Peoples Democratic Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in Nigeria, along with its main rival, the All Progressives Congress.
Its policies generally lie towards the centre-right of the political spectrum. It won e ...
(DPN) platform in 1998, but did not take his seat before Abacha's death. During the return to democracy in 1999 with the Nigerian Fourth Republic
The Fourth Republic is the current republican government of Nigeria. Since 1999, it has governed the country according to the fourth republican constitution. It was in many ways a revival of the Second Republic, which was in place between 1979 and ...
, Solomon was elected chairman of Mushin Local Government Area of Lagos State on the Alliance for Democracy (AD) platform.[
In 2003 he was a contender to be AD Senate candidate for Lagos West, but was defeated by the incumbent senator Tokunbo Afikuyomi. His supporters greeted the primary results with violence, and governor ]Bola Tinubu
Bola Ahmed Adekunle Tinubu (born 29 March 1952) is a Nigerian accountant and politician who served as the Governor of Lagos State from 1999 to 2007 and Senator for Lagos West during the brief Third Republic. In June 2022, he was chosen as the A ...
was unable to leave the scene of the vote for several hours as the mob battled with police outside and other electoral observers.
Solomon ran instead for the federal House of Assembly for Mushin Federal Constituency 1 and was elected.[
In April 2007, Solomon was elected to the Senate on the ]Action Congress
The Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), formerly known as Action Congress (AC), was a List of political parties in Nigeria, Nigerian political party formed via the merger of a faction of Alliance for Democracy (Nigeria), Alliance for Democracy, th ...
(AC) platform for the Lagos West constituency.
After taking his seat in the Senate, he was appointed to committees on Works, Sports, Rules & Business, Integration & Cooperation and Capital Markets (Chairman).[
In a mid-term evaluation of senators in May 2009, ThisDay noted that he had sponsored bills on amendment of the National Directorate of Act, Electronic Commerce, Whistleblowers Protection, Institute of Capital Market Registrars and Elderly Persons Centre, and had sponsored or co-sponsored ten motions.
He was appointed chairman of the Senate Committee on Capital Market.
His GOS Foundation provides assistance in skills acquisition, educational development, micro-credit, healthcare and poverty alleviation.][
In the run-up to the April 2011 elections, Solomon was unopposed in his bid in the ]Action Congress of Nigeria
The Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), formerly known as Action Congress (AC), was a Nigerian political party formed via the merger of a faction of Alliance for Democracy, the Justice Party, the Advance Congress of Democrats, and several othe ...
primaries to run for reelection.
He was reelected on 9 April.
In September 2011, it was reported that Solomon was arguing with ACN National Legal Advisor Muiz Banire
Muiz Adeyemi Banire SAN Ph.D (born 6 October 1966) is a lawyer and activist. Muiz Banire formed the United Action For Change which serves as a pressure group and think tank with the drive to build a society where people are valued and treated ...
over who would be the next Mushin Local Government Chairman. The bickering threatened to tear the party apart, with PDP chieftain Waheed Lawon saying it was making it more likely for the PDP to "sweep both Mushin and Surulere at the upcoming local government elections." But eventually the spirit of oneness prevailed through the intervention of the ACN elders which culminated in the emergence of the ACN candidate as the winner of Mushin Local Government Chairmanship election. Solomon participated in the 2014 APC governorship primaries ahead of the 2015 election
Ganiyu Olanrewaju Solomon (GOS) was recently introduced as a new member of Lagos State Governor Advisory Council (GAC)
In October 2022, Ganiyu Olanrewaju Solomon (GOS) was appointed as Director General of the Lagos State All Progressives Congress (APC) Campaign Council along with some grassroot politicians.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Solomon, Ganiyu
Members of the Senate (Nigeria)
Living people
1959 births
Members of the Lagos State House of Assembly
Alliance for Democracy (Nigeria) politicians
Action Congress of Nigeria politicians
All Progressives Congress politicians
University of Lagos alumni
Yoruba politicians
21st-century Nigerian politicians