Oyebanji Makes First Appointment, Re-appoints SSG, COS, CPS

Wale Igbintade

Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Biodun Oyebanji, has approved the re-appointment of Prof. Habibat Adubiaro as Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Mr. Oyeniyi Adebayo as Chief of Staff, and Mr. Olayinka Oyebode as Chief Press Secretary (CPS), following his inauguration for a second term in office on Friday.

The appointments, which take immediate effect, are the first made by the governor since his inauguration.

Prof. Adubiaro, a Professor of Chemistry and seasoned administrator, holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry from the University of Ibadan. She obtained her master’s degree and PhD from the University of Ado-Ekiti, now Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti, in 2004 and 2010, respectively.

She began her professional career at the defunct Oodua Textile Industry, Ado-Ekiti, in 1995, shortly after completing her National Youth Service. In 1999, she joined the Federal Polytechnic, Ado-Ekiti, where she spent several years teaching and advancing through the academic ranks.

In February 2013, she joined the Federal University Oye-Ekiti as a Lecturer in the Department of Industrial Chemistry. Her academic career culminated in her promotion to the rank of Professor of Chemistry, officially announced in January 2025, with effect from October 1, 2022.

Her research interests include food chemistry and organic synthesis, particularly the chemical composition, nutritional properties and functional characteristics of plant-derived food materials.

Prof. Adubiaro has a longstanding record of public service in Ekiti State. She previously served as Special Adviser on Women Affairs to the Ekiti State Governor between 2003 and 2004 before her appointment as Secretary to the State Government by Governor Oyebanji on October 16, 2022.

As SSG, she played a central coordinating role in the state administration, bringing her experience in governance, institutional administration and policy implementation to bear on government operations.

Mr Adebayo, the re-appointed Chief of Staff to the Governor, hails from Usi-Ekiti in Ido/Osi Local Government Area of Ekiti State. A former banker and financial management expert, he combines academic training in Forest Resources Management and Agricultural Economics with advanced business education and extensive experience in banking, corporate management and public service.

He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Forest Resources Management and a Master of Science degree in Agricultural Economics from the University of Ibadan. He subsequently obtained a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, United States. He has also attended executive programmes at Harvard Business School, INSEAD and the Kellogg School of Management.

Adebayo began his professional career at Arthur Andersen, where he gained experience in accounting, auditing and financial consultancy across various industries. He later worked with Merrill Lynch Private Wealth Management Group in Los Angeles, United States, gaining experience in investment management and wealth advisory services.

He subsequently built a career in commercial banking, serving in various leadership and specialist roles at Wema Bank, United Bank for Africa (UBA), First City Monument Bank (FCMB) and the defunct Enterprise Bank, where he served as Executive Director.

In November 2022, Adebayo joined the Oyebanji administration as Special Adviser on Budget, Economic Planning and Performance Management. He was appointed Commissioner for Budget, Economic Planning and Performance Management in August 2023, contributing to budgeting, economic planning, fiscal coordination, development planning and performance monitoring.

On December 31, 2024, Governor Oyebanji appointed him Chief of Staff, effective January 2, 2025. In that capacity, he supported the coordination of executive administration, facilitated engagement between the Governor’s Office and other government institutions, and helped drive the implementation of government priorities.

Mr. Oyebode, the re-appointed Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, has extensive experience in journalism, media management and strategic communication.

A graduate of English and Literary Studies from the then Ondo State University, Ado-Ekiti, (now Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti), Oyebode holds a master’s degree in Peace and Security Studies from the same institution. He is also an alumnus of the International Journalism Institute, Berlin, Germany, and the Austria Study Centre for Peace and Conflict Resolution (ASPR), Schlaining, Austria.

He began his journalism career with the Post Express newspaper, Apapa, Lagos, in 1996. He subsequently worked with The Punch and The Nation newspapers, where he rose to the position of Assistant Editor (Politics).

Oyebode joined the Ekiti State Government in December 2010 as Special Assistant on Media to the Governor. He was appointed Chief Press Secretary in June 2011 and served in that capacity until the end of the first administration of former Governor Kayode Fayemi in October 2014.

Between 2015 and 2018, he served as Special Adviser on Media to the Minister of Mines and Steel Development. He later returned to Ekiti State as Chief Press Secretary to the Governor from October 2018 to October 2022.

On October 16, 2022, Governor Oyebanji re-appointed him Chief Press Secretary. In 2023, he was additionally appointed Special Adviser on Media and Strategy, combining the two responsibilities until the end of the administration’s first term on October 15, 2026.

Governor Oyebanji congratulated the appointees on their re-appointments and urged them to deploy their wealth of experience, professional expertise and institutional knowledge towards effective service delivery and the continued development of Ekiti State.