Countdown to 2019: Profile of the PDP Lagos governorship candidate, Jimi Agbaje

Jimi Agbaje

Jimi Agbaje

Mr Jimi Agbaje

By Isa Isawade

Olujimi Kolawole Agbaje, popularly known as Jimi Agbaje or JK, was born on March 2, 1957 in Lagos to late Chief Julius Kosebinu Agbaje (a Banker) and Mrs. Margaret Olabisi Agbaje (teacher). He is the second born and first male of five children (two females and three males) including Segun Agbaje, the CEO of Guaranty Trust Bank.

Agbaje is a pharmacist by training from the then University of Ife, now Obafemi Awolowo University Ile-Ife. He is a Fellow, Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (FPSN); Fellow, West African Post Graduate College of Pharmacists (FPCPharm).

In 1982, Jimi Agbaje founded his own company, JAYKAY Pharmaceutical and Chemical Company Limited and was its Managing Director until 2005 when he decided to venture into politics.

A consummate professional, he was a member of the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (1999–2006); National Secretary of the Nigerian Association of General Practice Pharmacists (NAGPP) from 1987 to 1990; National Chairman NAGPP (1990–1993) and Chairman Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, Lagos State (1994–1997).

Olujimi served meritoriously as a member of Lagos State Task force on Fake and Adulterated Drugs (1989–1993); National Drug Formulary and Essential Drugs List (1986–1993) and Lagos Hospitals Management Board (1994–1997).

The renown pharmacist also sits on the Board of other organizations including Oakwood Park Ltd, Atlantic Hall Secondary School Epe, Jimi Agbaje Outreach (a project dedicated to helping the less fortunate) and has served as business mentor at Fate Foundation.

Awards and fellowships to his credit include Merit Award Winner (MAW); Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (Lagos State chapter); Fellow, Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (FPSN) and Fellow, West African Post Graduate College of Pharmacists (FPCPharm).

JK, according to his confession, was inspired politically by annulment of the historic June 12 1993 election, won by the late Chief MKO Abiola (GCFR).

“I saw the annulment as a personal insult and an assault on the Nigerian people. This led to my first entry into what I would call activism, working with other concerned professionals”, he told a national daily.

Related News

Jimi was in one form of resistance group or the other which ultimately led him to join the socio-political organization, Afenifere where he served as national treasurer.

Based on his affiliation with Afenifere, Jimi Agbaje joined the Action Congress (AC) – his first political party. In 2007, Agbaje, who had initially aspired to contest for the Governor of Lagos State on the platform of the Action Congress (AC), left the party to join the Democratic People’s Alliance (DPA).

He was among the 11 aspirants that turned their back to the Action Congress (AC) when it was alleged that Governor Bola Tinubu had already anointed someone else to succeed him even before the party primaries.

Agbaje contested in gubernatorial election on the Democratic People’s Alliance (DPA) platform, but eventually, alongside other major contenders – Musiliu Obanikoro of PDP, Femi Pedro of Labour Party (Nigeria) – lost to Babatunde Raji Fashola of the Action Congress (AC).

Following the de-registration of DPA by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in 2011 he left to join the then ruling party, the People’s Democratic Party, PDP .

On October 29, 2014, JK officially indicated his interest in giving the Lagos State gubernatorial elections another shot by picking up the PDP nomination form.

On 8 December 2014, he emerged as the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP for the 2015 Lagos State gubernatorial election, having defeated Musiliu Obanikoro in the primary.

In October 2018, Jimi Agbaje defeated Adedeji Doherty to again secure the PDP’s ticket to run for the office of the governor of Lagos state in the March 2, 2019 election. He will be running for the third consecutive time.

Olujimi K. Agbaje is married to Abiola Agbaje (née Bankole), a lawyer. They both met as students at the University of Ife, now Obafemi Awolowo University and dated for eight years before getting married. They have three children; two boys and a girl.

Load more