Oluyemi Oluleke Osinbajo is a Nigerian lawyer and politician who is currently the Vice President of Nigeria. A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Professor of Law and until his inauguration as Vice President, a Senior Partner with SimmonsCooper Partners, a commercial law practice. He was born on March 8, 1957 into the family of Opeoluwa Osinbajoin Lagos State.
Osinbajo attended Corona primary School, in Lagos and then Igbobi College Yaba, Lagos, Nigeria where he won the winner of the State Merit Award (1971); the School Prize for English Oratory (1972); Adeoba Prize for English Oratory (1972-1975); Elias Prize for Best Performance in History (WASC, 1973); School Prize for Literature (HSC, 1975); and African Statesman Intercollegiate Best Speaker’s Prize (1974).
He has a degree in Law from the University of Lagos between 1975-1978 where he won the Graham-Douglas Prize for Commercial Law. In 1979, he completed his professional training at the Nigerian Law School whereon he was admitted to practice as a Barrister and Solicitor of Nigeria’s Supreme Court. From 1979–1980, Osinbajo served the compulsory one year youth service as a legal officer with Bendel Development and Planning Authority (BDPA), Bendel state. In 1980, he attended the London School of Economics & Political Science, where he obtained a Master of Laws degree.
In 1981, Osinbajo was employed as a law lecturer at the University of Lagos, Nigeria. From 1983 to 1986, he was Senior lecturer of Law at the University of Lagos. From 1988 to 1992, he was an Adviser (legal advice and litigation) to the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Bola Ajibola.
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From 1997 to 1999 he was made Professor of Law and Head of Department of Public Law, University of Lagos. From 1999 to 2007, Osinbajo was Member of Cabinet, Lagos State Ministry of Justice, also Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice.
From 2007 to 2013 Osinbajo was once again employed as a Professor of Law, Department of Public Law, Faculty of Law, University of Lagos. In 2007, Osinbajo was made Senior Partner, Simmons Cooper Partners (Barristers and Solicitors), Nigeria.
Until his inauguration into the office of the Vice President of Nigeria, Osinbajo was a member of the United Nations Operations in Somalia, Justice Division, UNOSOM II, United Nations Secretary General’s Committee of Experts on Conduct and Discipline of UN, Peacekeeping Personnel around the globe. Osinbajo was also a partner in Law Firm of Osinbajo, Kukoyi & Adokpaye and the Pastor in charge of the Lagos Province 48 (Olive Tree provincial headquarter) of The Reedeemed Christian Church of God.
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He is also a member of other professional bodies like the Nigerian Bar Association, International Bar Association, Nigerian Body of Benchers and Council of Legal Education in Nigeria and Senior Advocate of Nigeria.
On 17 December 2014 the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, retired General Muhammadu Buhari, announced Osinbajo as his running mate and vice-presidential candidate for the 2015 general elections. On 31 March 2015, Buhari was confirmed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the winner of the presidential elections making Osinbajo the Vice President-elect of Nigeria. They were both sworn in on 29 May 2015.
President Goodluck Jonathan conferred on Osinbajo the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger on May 28, 2015. Osinbajo has written several books including the Nigerian Media Law, Cases and Materials on Nigerian Law of Evidence, Human Rights Democracy in Nigeria and other journals.
He is married to Dolapo (née Soyode) Osinbajo, a granddaughter of Obafemi Awolowo and they are blessed with three children.
