Simon (or Simeon) Ajibola became the Senator for the

Kwara South Senatorial District Kwara South Senatorial District covers seven local government areas which include Ekiti, Oke-Oro, Offa, Ifelodun, Irepodun, Isin , and Oyun. The headquarters of Kwara South Senatorial District is Omu-Aran in Irepodun Local Government. Lola ...

of Kwara State in June 2004 and was reelected in 2007. He is a member of the

People's Democratic Party People's Democratic Party or ''variant thereof'', could refer to: * People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan *People's Democratic Party (Belize) *People's Democratic Party (Bhutan) *People's Democratic Party (Chile) * People's Democratic Party (Dom ...

(PDP).

Early life and education

Ajibola obtained a graduate degree in

Quantity Surveying A quantity surveyor (QS) is a construction industry professional with expert knowledge on construction costs and contracts. Qualified professional quantity surveyors are known as Chartered Surveyors (Members and Fellows of RICS) in the UK and C ...

from

Ahmadu Bello University Ahmadu Bello University Zaria is a federal government research university in Zaria, Kaduna State, Nigeria. ABU was founded on 4 October 1962, as the pioneer university in Northern Nigeria. It was founded and named after the Sardauna of Sokoto, A ...

Zaria Zaria is a List of Nigerian cities by population, metropolitan city in Nigeria which at the present time lies within four (4) local government areas in Kaduna State, Kaduna state; it happens to be the capital city to the Zazzau, Zazzau Emirate ...

in 1979.

Political career

He was elected Delegate to the National Constitution Conference (1994–1995). During the transition planned by 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 ...

, Ajibola ran for senate on the

United Nigeria Congress Party The United Nigeria Congress Party (UNCP) was a Nigerian political party. It was one of the five state-sanctioned political parties allowed by the government of General Sani Abacha to participate in state assembly elections held in December 1997, in ...

(UNPP) ticket. Although regarded as an underdog, he went ahead to win. However, the process was cancelled with Abacha's death in June 1998. After the return to democracy in 1999, Ajibola was Federal Commissioner, Revenue Mobilization, Allocation & Fiscal Commission (2001–2002). Ajibola ran for the Kwara South Senatorial District seat in April 2003 but was defeated by Suleiman Makanjuola Ajadi of the

All Nigeria Peoples Party The All Nigeria Peoples Party ( abbr. ANPP) was a political party in Nigeria. Under the leadership of Late Chief Edwin Ume-Ezeoke who was its vice presidential candidate to General Muhammadu Buhari in the 2007 presidential elections. The party ...

(ANPP). However, in June 2004 Ajadi's victory was overturned by the Election Petition Tribunal and Ajibola was declared elected. He was reelected in 2007 and was appointed to committees on Water Resources, Upstream Petroleum Resources, Security & Intelligence and Agriculture. In a mid-term evaluation of Senators in May 2009,

ThisDay ''This Day'' is a Nigerian national newspaper. It is the flagship newspaper of Leaders & Company Ltd and was first published on 22 January 1995. It has its headquarters in Apapa, Lagos State. Founded by Nduka Obaigbena, the Chairman & Editor-i ...

said he had not sponsored any bills in the previous year, had limited involvement with debate in plenary, but was effective in committee work. Ajibola ran again for the Kwara South Senate seat in the 9 April 2011 election, and was returned for a third term. In December 2014, Senator Ajibola defeated the seemingly more popular candidates Dele Belgore and Gbemisola Saraki to clinch the PDP primaries to become the party flag bearer running for Governor of Kwara State in the 2015 Kwara State gubernatorial election, promising to give autonomy to the 16 Local government Councils in the state when elected as governor. In the 2015 Nigerian elections, after preliminary polls showed

Abdulfatah Ahmed Abdulfatah Ahmed (born 29 December 1963) is a Nigerian banker and politician. He is the former Governor of Kwara State. Background Ahmed was born on 29 December 1963 in Share, Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State. He attended Gove ...

far ahead in the race for state governor, Senator Ajibola sued to challenge the results of the election. The case was taken to a federal high court where it was thrown out, with a judge ruling that Senator Ajibola had no

locus standi Locus (plural loci) is Latin for "place". It may refer to: Entertainment * Locus (comics), a Marvel Comics mutant villainess, a member of the Mutant Liberation Front * ''Locus'' (magazine), science fiction and fantasy magazine ** ''Locus Award' ...

to sue.

References

Living people Yoruba politicians People from Kwara State United Nigeria Congress Party politicians Peoples Democratic Party members of the Senate (Nigeria) Ahmadu Bello University alumni 21st-century Nigerian politicians Year of birth missing (living people) {{Nigeria-politician-stub