Adams Oshiomhole

Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole
Adams Oshiomhole, former President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (right) with U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria Howard F. Jeter (center), 5 July 2002, Lagos.
National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress
Assumed office
24 July 2018
Governor of Edo State
In office
12 November 2008 – 12 November 2016
Preceded by Oserheimen Osunbor
Succeeded by Godwin Obaseki

Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole (born 4 April 1952) is a Nigerian politician. He is the current national chairman of the All Progressive Congress (APC) political party.[1] He was the Governor of Edo State, Nigeria on the platform of the Action Congress from November 2008 to November 2016 and he was the president of Nigeria Labour Congress during President Olusegun Obasanjo's administration.[2]

Background

Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole was born on 4 April 1952 at Iyamho, near Auchi in Edo State. He was born Muslim but was led to Christianity by his late wife Clara who died of cancer aged 54. He is Catholic and his Christian name is Eric. After his secondary education, he obtained a job with the Arewa Textiles Company, where he was elected union secretary. He became a full-time trade union organizer in 1975.

He then studied at Ruskin College, Oxford in the United Kingdom where he majored in economics and industrial relations.[3] He also attended the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru.[3] In May 2015 he married a young model called Lara Fortes.[4]

Career

Labor leader

In 1982, Adams Oshiomhole was appointed General Secretary of the National Union of Textile Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria, a union with over 75,000 workers. After democracy was restored in 1999, he became president of the Nigerian Labour Congress and was prominent as the leader of a campaign of industrial action against high oil prices in Nigeria.[3] Early in the administration of President Olusegun Obasanjo he negotiated a 25% wage increase for public sector workers. In return he publicly supported Obasanjo and endorsed his candidacy when he was re-elected in 2003.[5] The Textile union elected Oshiomhole for a second term as General Secretary, while he continued as president of NLC.[6]

His relationship with Obasanjo turned sour as neglect of local oil refineries led to reliance on imported gasoline, followed by rises in the price of fuel. Oshiomhole led strikes and demonstrations against the increase. He faced arrests, tear gas and temporary blockades of union offices, and Obasanjo introduced legislation to make it more difficult for the NLC to strike.[5] The NLC alleges that on 9 October 2004 Oshiomhole was abducted by State Security Services during a protest, but the Nigerian government say he submitted to voluntary custody.[7]

Oshiomhole represented African Workers for two terms on the Governing Body of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), serving on the committee on Freedom of Association. He was also a member of the Executive Board of the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions.[3]

Politics

In April 2007, Adams Oshiomhole ran for Governor of Edo State under the Action Congress Party, with which his Labour Party had entered a strategic alliance.[3] Oserheimen Osunbor of the People's Democratic Party (PDP) was declared the winner. However, the AC contested the election on the basis of various irregularities. On 20 March 2008, an Edo State election tribunal nullified the election of Oserheimen Osunbor and declared Oshiomhole the winner. On 11 November 2008, a federal Appeal Court sitting in Benin City upheld the ruling of the state's elections petitions tribunal, declaring Oshiomole to be the Governor of Edo State. The decision was based on several voting irregularities.[8]

In 2012, he was elected to a second term, winning the elections in a massive landslide.[9] He ended his tenure on November 12 2016.[10]

On 23 June 2018, Adams Oshiomhole emerged as the national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Nigeria following a voice vote by delegates at the party National convention.[11]

References

  1. ↑ APC Affirms Oshiomhole As New National Chairman • Channels Television, retrieved 2018-08-21
  2. ↑ "Nigerian States". WorldStatesmen. Archived from the original on 23 January 2010. Retrieved 2010-01-17.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 "Governor Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole of Edo State". Nigeria Governors' Forum. Retrieved 17 January 2010.
  4. ↑ "Why Obasanjo cannot advise Buhari – Ex-Edo State Governor..." oak.tv. Oak TV. 2 February 2018.
  5. 1 2 "Profile: Adams Oshiomhole". BBC News. 13 October 2004. Retrieved 2010-01-17.
  6. ↑ "Textile union elects leadership: re-elects Oshiomhole as General Secretary". Nigeria Labour Congress. Retrieved 2010-01-17.
  7. ↑ "Behold, Oshiomhole is New APC Chairman!". The NEWS. 2018-06-23. Retrieved 2018-07-06.
  8. ↑ "Governor's Election Nullified". Africa Research Bulletin: Political, Social and Cultural Series. Blackwell. 45 (3): 17419C–17420B. 2008. doi:10.1111/j.1467-825X.2008.01568.x.
  9. ↑ Awenlimobor, Sylvester (July 15, 2012). "Oshiomhole wins". Daily Times. Archived from the original on July 18, 2012.
  10. ↑ Ebegbulem, Simon (November 12, 2016). "Tears as Oshiomhole leaves". Vanguard.
  11. ↑ "APC Affirms Oshiomhole As New National Chairman". Channels Television. Retrieved July 24, 2018.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.