Senator Bamidele: 5 Interesting Facts About Senate Majority Leader

• Senator Michael Opeyemi Bamidele's political stint can be traced back to the early 90s when he was practising as a lawyer in Lagos State
• Early in his career, he held two positions under the administration of the then-governor of Lagos State, Bola Ahmed Tinubu
• Now in 2023, he was announced the Senate majority leader under the administration of his former principal, President Tinubu

FCT, Abuja - Senator Michael Opeyemi Bamidele, the lawmaker representing Ekiti Central federal constituency at the House of Senate, became the centre of attraction on Tuesday, July 4, when he emerged as the majority leader of the upper chamber.

However, before he emerged as the majority leader in the red chamber, Senator Bamidele's pathway to political prominence dates back to the early 90s.

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In this short piece, Legit.ng will highlight five interesting facts about the lawmaker from southwest Nigeria.

1. Educational background

In 1986, Senator Bamidele bagged his first degree in Arts from the prestigious University of Ife (Obafemi Awolowo University), Ile-Ife, Osun State.

He went on to study further in a much different academic path when he enrolled in school again for another degree in Law.

In 1990, he bagged his law degree from the University of Benin, Edo State.

2. Legal career

Two years after bagging his law degree from the University of Benin, the young Bamidele kicked off his legal career.

Since then, he has gone on to bag a Master's in Law from the highly revered Franklin Pierce Law Centre at the University of New Hampshire Law School, Concord, New Hampshire, USA.

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He is also a member of the Nigerian Bar Association, New York Bar, International Bar Association, and the American Bar.

3. Early political career in Lagos

While practising as a legal attorney, he delved into politics briefly in Lagos State, where he contested in the 1992 primary polls for the House of Representatives seat for Oshodi/Isolo Federal Constituency.

At the time when he contested, he was a member of the opposition Social Democratic Party (SDP), The Nation reported.

4. Previous stint under Tinubu

After his unsuccessful attempt to become a lawmaker representing Lagos State, the then-governor, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, spotted his talent and hired him into his cabinet.

Tinubu appointed Bamidele as his special assistant on legal matters.

Shortly, he transitioned into becoming a commissioner in Lagos State, serving as the head of the Lagos Ministry of Youth, Sports and Social Development.

5. Political career in Ekiti

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Shortly after his time in Lagos, he proceeded to Ekiti State, his actual origin, to contest for the senatorial seat of Ekiti Central.

In April 2011, he became Ekiti Central's Senator at the 7th National Assembly.

Senator Bamidele has since won three back-to-back elections into the red chambers.

Wike, Tambuwal lose out as Senate President Akpabio names minority leaders

In another development, former governors Nyesom Wike and Aminu Tambuwal renewed their hostilities over the minority leadership positions in the National Assembly.

To their greatest surprise, on Tuesday, July 4, Senate President Godswill Akpabio announced the name of the new leaders of the minority caucus, and both PDP chieftains lost out.

Akpabio named Senator Simon Mwadkon as the Senate minority leader after he defeated Tambuwal despite moves to outsmart his political rival, Wike.

Source: Legit.ng