Dapo Abiodun is the Governor of Ogun State, now in his second and final term. An oil-and-gas businessman, he won the governorship for the APC in 2019 and was narrowly re-elected in 2023. His tenure has been accompanied by questions about his academic record, undeclared offshore companies and an old arrest in the United States.1

Early life and business

Abiodun was born in Iperu on 29 May 1960. He studied civil engineering at the University of Ife without completing the degree and graduated in accounting from Kennesaw State University in the United States in 1986. Back in Nigeria he built Heyden Petroleum and other energy businesses and chaired the association of petroleum depot owners from 2012 to 2019.1

Politics

He won the Ogun East Senate seat in 1998 in the aborted Third Republic transition, was a founding member of the PDP, and lost the APC’s Ogun East Senate primary in 2015. President Buhari appointed him chairman of the Corporate Affairs Commission in 2018. He won the APC governorship ticket and the 2019 election, and was re-elected in March 2023 by a narrow margin; the tribunal and higher courts upheld the result.1

Governor (2019–present)

His government’s flagship project is the Gateway International Airport at Iperu, which has begun commercial flights. Critics questioned the cost and whether the state needed its own airport; Abiodun says it serves cargo, agriculture and travellers and continues his predecessors’ plans.23

Controversies

  • Education records. Before the 2019 election opponents alleged that he had claimed a degree from the University of Ife. He said he never claimed to have finished it, and the tribunal found no certificate fraud.1
  • Pandora Papers. In 2021 Premium Times reported that he owned two British Virgin Islands companies that were not declared when he took office.1
  • US arrest. In 2022 Sahara Reporters published records of a 1986 arrest in Florida under another name; his lawyers said it did not affect his eligibility.1

2027

He cannot run for governor again. In May 2026 he won the APC ticket for the Ogun East Senate seat.1

Personal life

Abiodun has been married to Bamidele Abiodun since 1990. They have five children; their son Gbemiga died in 2017.1

References

  1. Dapo Abiodun. Wikipedia, accessed October 2026. ↩ ↩ ↩ ↩ ↩ ↩ ↩ ↩

  2. Ogun governor Dapo Abiodun launches first commercial flight at Gateway International Airport. Arise News. ↩

  3. Abiodun justifies Ogun airport, says project aligns with predecessors’ vision. Vanguard, October 2025. ↩