Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of Ondo State on Wednesday, January 24, 2024, nominated former Deputy Clerk of the National Assembly Chief Olayide Adelami as his deputy governor.
Adelami, a kinsman of late Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, hails from Owo, Owo local government area.
Adelami was a governorship aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2020 but later stepped down for the late Governor Akeredolu.
The civil servant turned politician retired from the services of the National Assembly in April, 2018.
Chief Olayide Owolabi Adelami, was born over six decades ago to the family of Oluka Oribokun by Pa and Mrs Amos Adelami. He graduated from the prestigious Imade College in Owo before proceeding to The Polytechnic, Ibadan for his GCE A level and University of Lagos for his Bachelors of Science in Business Administration. He further got an MBA degree from Ogun State University.
After the completion of the mandatory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in June 1983, Adelami got enlisted into Federal Civil Service as an Accountant II in December, 1983 and was posted to the Treasury Department of the Accountant General of the Federation office and in 1988, he was posted to the National Assembly Provisional Office, Abuja as one of the pioneer staff of the Constituent Assembly which later metamorphosed to the present day National Assembly.
In the discharge of his duty, Adelami had the singular privilege of setting up the Finance and Accounts Department of the National Assembly. In 1996, he was invited to help in setting up the Accounts Department of the Petroleum Special Trust Fund. After completion of this tasks, he was also beckoned to serve at the Family Support Trust Fund where he also assisted to set up the Finance and Accounts Department. He headed these departments between 1996 and 2000. Similarly, the project of National Hospital, Abuja was executed and delivered during Adelami’s service period.
His sterling performances, years of experience and reputation as an astute manager of resources with enviable integrity saw Adelami being recalled to the National Assembly in 2000 to strengthen the Finance Department. Three years later, he was made the Head of the Finance and Accounts Department, a position he held till 2007 when he was confirmed as the Director. The following year, he was nominated for a one year senior management course at the prestigious National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru, Jos and immediately after the completion of his course at the prestigious Institute in 2008, he was assigned a bigger task of pioneering the newly created Department of Procurement and Supplies. Without a single trained staff in procurement processes, Adelami who relishes challenges embarked on the rigorous process of staff training and nurtured the department to an enviable position. In 2014, he was promoted to the position of Secretary (Permanent Secretary), Directorate of Procurement, Estate and Works. A position he held until he was appointed as the Deputy Clerk to the National Assembly and remained the Deputy Clerk to the National Assembly until his retirement in April 2018.
His political journey began shortly after his retirement when he was appointed by the presidency as the Coordinator, Presidential Support Committee, Ondo state, whose mandate was to reconcile aggrieved APC members, as well as coordinate the activities of the various support groups across the state for the president’s re-election. He worked assiduously against all odds to deliver massive votes for the APC across the state and also ensured the return of the only APC senator in the state from his senatorial district.
He is well travelled and has attended many international courses, seminars, workshops in Nigeria, African nations and countries across Europe, Asia and the USA. He is an Alumnus of the prestigious Harvard University, Massachusetts, USA.
