Rasheed Ladoja
Encyclopedia
Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja is a businessman who became governor of Oyo State
in Nigeria
on 29 May 2003 as a member of the People's Democratic Party
(PDP). He was impeached in January 2006, but reinstated in December 2006. His term ended in 2007, and in 2008 he was charged with corruption during his period in office.
. He attended Ibadan Boys High School (1958–1963) and Olivet Baptist High School (1964–1965). He studied at the University of Liège
, Belgium (1966–1972) where he earned a degree in Chemical Engineering. He obtained a job with Total Nigeria
, an oil company, where he worked for 13 years in various positions before entering private business in 1985. His business interests include Shipping, Manufacturing, Banking, Agriculture and Transportation.
He was elected to the Senate of Nigeria in 1993 during the short-lived Nigerian Third Republic
.
By 2000, Ladoja had become a director of Standard Trust Bank Limited.
He was supported by Alhaji Lamidi Adedibu
, a PDP power broker in the state. By August 2004, Ladoja and Adedibu were locked in a fierce struggle over allocation of government appointees.
Ladoja was not supported by the party in this dispute. In an interview in late 2005, the PDP national chairman, Ahmadu Ali, said that Rasheed Ladoja should take instructions from Lamidi Adedibu.
On 12 January 2006, Ladoja was impeached by Oyo State
legislators and forced out of office. The impeachment may have been due to the argument between Ladoja and Lamidi Adedibu. His deputy, Christopher Adebayo Alao-Akala, was sworn in as the new governor.
On 1 November 2006, the Appeal Court in the state capital, Ibadan, declared the impeachment null and illegal, but advised waiting for confirmation of this decision by the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court upheld the decision on November 11, 2009, and Ladajo officially resumed office on December 12, 2006. Anti-riot police were deployed along the main roads leading to the main government offices to prevent violence from supporters of Adebayo Alao-Akala and Lamidi Adedibu during his reinstatement.
Ladoja failed to win the PDP nomination as candidate for a second term. He chose to back the Action Congress
candidates for 33 local council chairmanship elections. The PDP refused to participate in the elections. As a result, the Action Congress (AC) won 26 seats and the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) won seven.
However, his successor as governor, his former deputy and former acting governor Christopher Adebayo Akala, sacked the council chairmen shortly after taking office and replaced them with PDP supporters.
(EFCC) over allegations of non-remittance of the proceeds of sale of government shares totaling N1.9 billion during his administration.
He was briefly remanded in prison by the Federal High Court in Lagos
on 30 August 2008.
He was granted bail on 5 September in the amount of 100 million naira with two sureties for the same sum.
In March 2009, a former aide testified on the way on which the share money had been divided between Ladoja's family, bodyguard, senior politicians and lawyers.
In November 2009, Ladoja tried to persuade the local government chairmen sacked by his successor to withdraw a legal action they had started over their dismissal. This was said to be an attempt to make a deal that would result in a reduction of Ladoja's sentence.
However, 17 of the chairmen refused to withdraw their suit, saying "justice must be done".
Ladoja is currently the governorship candidate for Accord party in Oyo State, he is set to challenge the incumbent governor, Adebayo Alao Akala.
Oyo State
Ọyọ State is an inland state in south-western Nigeria, with its capital at Ibadan. It is bounded in the north by Kwara State, in the east by Osun State, in the south by Ogun State and in the west partly by Ogun State and partly by the Republic of Benin....
in Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
on 29 May 2003 as a member of the People's Democratic Party
People's Democratic Party (Nigeria)
The People's Democratic Party is a political party in Nigeria. Its policies generally lie towards the right wing of the political spectrum. It has won every single Presidential elections since 1999, namely: 1999, 2003, 2007, and 2011, and is the dominant party in the Fourth Republic.-History:In...
(PDP). He was impeached in January 2006, but reinstated in December 2006. His term ended in 2007, and in 2008 he was charged with corruption during his period in office.
Early life
Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja was born on 25 September 1944 in Gambari village near IbadanIbadan
Ibadan is the capital city of Oyo State and the third largest metropolitan area in Nigeria, after Lagos and Kano, with a population of 1,338,659 according to the 2006 census. Ibadan is also the largest metropolitan geographical area...
. He attended Ibadan Boys High School (1958–1963) and Olivet Baptist High School (1964–1965). He studied at the University of Liège
University of Liège
The University of Liège , in Liège, Wallonia, Belgium, is a major public university in the French Community of Belgium. Its official language is French.-History:...
, Belgium (1966–1972) where he earned a degree in Chemical Engineering. He obtained a job with Total Nigeria
Total S.A.
Total S.A. is a French multinational oil company and one of the six "Supermajor" oil companies in the world.Its businesses cover the entire oil and gas chain, from crude oil and natural gas exploration and production to power generation, transportation, refining, petroleum product marketing, and...
, an oil company, where he worked for 13 years in various positions before entering private business in 1985. His business interests include Shipping, Manufacturing, Banking, Agriculture and Transportation.
He was elected to the Senate of Nigeria in 1993 during the short-lived Nigerian Third Republic
Nigerian Third Republic
The Third Republic was the planned republican government of Nigeria in 1993 which was to be governed by the Third Republican constitution.- Founding :...
.
By 2000, Ladoja had become a director of Standard Trust Bank Limited.
Governor of Oyo State
Rashidi Ladoja was elected governor of Oyo State in April 2003 on the PDP platform, and took office on 29 May 2003.He was supported by Alhaji Lamidi Adedibu
Lamidi Adedibu
Lamidi Ariyibi Akanbi Adedibu was an aristocratic PDP power broker in Oyo State, Nigeria.Former President Olusegun Obasanjo described him as the "father of the PDP"....
, a PDP power broker in the state. By August 2004, Ladoja and Adedibu were locked in a fierce struggle over allocation of government appointees.
Ladoja was not supported by the party in this dispute. In an interview in late 2005, the PDP national chairman, Ahmadu Ali, said that Rasheed Ladoja should take instructions from Lamidi Adedibu.
On 12 January 2006, Ladoja was impeached by Oyo State
Oyo State
Ọyọ State is an inland state in south-western Nigeria, with its capital at Ibadan. It is bounded in the north by Kwara State, in the east by Osun State, in the south by Ogun State and in the west partly by Ogun State and partly by the Republic of Benin....
legislators and forced out of office. The impeachment may have been due to the argument between Ladoja and Lamidi Adedibu. His deputy, Christopher Adebayo Alao-Akala, was sworn in as the new governor.
On 1 November 2006, the Appeal Court in the state capital, Ibadan, declared the impeachment null and illegal, but advised waiting for confirmation of this decision by the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court upheld the decision on November 11, 2009, and Ladajo officially resumed office on December 12, 2006. Anti-riot police were deployed along the main roads leading to the main government offices to prevent violence from supporters of Adebayo Alao-Akala and Lamidi Adedibu during his reinstatement.
Ladoja failed to win the PDP nomination as candidate for a second term. He chose to back the Action Congress
Action Congress
The Action Congress of Nigeria , formerly known as Action Congress , is a classical liberal Nigerian political party formed via the merger of the Alliance for Democracy, the Justice Party, the Advance Congress of Democrats, and several other minor political parties in September 2006. The party...
candidates for 33 local council chairmanship elections. The PDP refused to participate in the elections. As a result, the Action Congress (AC) won 26 seats and the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) won seven.
However, his successor as governor, his former deputy and former acting governor Christopher Adebayo Akala, sacked the council chairmen shortly after taking office and replaced them with PDP supporters.
Later career
On 28 August 2008, Ladoja was arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes CommissionEconomic and Financial Crimes Commission
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission is a Nigerian law enforcement agency that investigates financial crimes such as advance fee fraud and money laundering...
(EFCC) over allegations of non-remittance of the proceeds of sale of government shares totaling N1.9 billion during his administration.
He was briefly remanded in prison by the Federal High Court in Lagos
Lagos
Lagos is a port and the most populous conurbation in Nigeria. With a population of 7,937,932, it is currently the third most populous city in Africa after Cairo and Kinshasa, and currently estimated to be the second fastest growing city in Africa...
on 30 August 2008.
He was granted bail on 5 September in the amount of 100 million naira with two sureties for the same sum.
In March 2009, a former aide testified on the way on which the share money had been divided between Ladoja's family, bodyguard, senior politicians and lawyers.
In November 2009, Ladoja tried to persuade the local government chairmen sacked by his successor to withdraw a legal action they had started over their dismissal. This was said to be an attempt to make a deal that would result in a reduction of Ladoja's sentence.
However, 17 of the chairmen refused to withdraw their suit, saying "justice must be done".
Ladoja is currently the governorship candidate for Accord party in Oyo State, he is set to challenge the incumbent governor, Adebayo Alao Akala.