As Nigeria prepares for the forthcoming 2027 general election, one name that Nigerians should watch out for and perhaps pray to have as their next president is no other person than Professor Muhammad Ayinla Omolaja (MAO). Prof. (Dr., Alhaji, Prince, Chief) Muhammad Temilade Ugochinyere Ayinla Omolaja, born to the Obe Royal family of Mallam and Mrs. Fasasi Ayinde Omolaja-Obe of Ayetoro in Yewa North Local Government Area of Ogun State, is a man of many colours having navigated through many sectors ranging from education, humanity to politics among others.
Nigerians can’t ask for less in this man whose academic and professional credentials, management and administrative cum leadership competence as well as political activism are intimidating and of grades than just an ordinary politician. Alhaji (Chief) Muhammad Omolaja, a professor of management and administration, holds Bachelor of Science (BSc) Degree in Business Administration with Second Class Honours (Upper Division), Master of Public
Administration (MPA), Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Management, Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Public Administration and Political Science, Doctor of Science (DSc) in Business Administration, Doctor of Science (DSc) in Strategic Management and Doctor of Letters (DLitt) in Educational Management and Administration, and many others. Professionally, MAO is a Member of the Chartered Institute of Administration (Nigeria), Institute of Industrial Management (Nigeria), National Institute of Marketing of Nigeria, Nigerian Computer Society (formerly Computer Association of Nigeria), Institute of Management Consultants (Nigeria), Chartered Institute of Marketing (London) and International Sociological Association (Madrid, Spain). He is also a Fellow of the Chartered Association of Costs and
Executive Accountants of Nigeria, Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (Nigeria), Chartered Institute of Supply Chain Management (Ghana), Chartered Institute of Warehousing and Material Management (Nigeria), Chartered Institute of Project Management, Institute of Corporate Affairs Management, and Academy of
Corporate Management and Strategic Planning. He is also a Chartered Project Management Professional and Doctoral Fellow of the Institute of Professional Financial Managers, UK; and he is a Member of the World Council and African Council of the Institute.Prof. (Dr.) Muhammad Omolaja has worked and acquired a bundle of relevant leadership and administrative skills relevant to corporate governance at many places both locally and internationally including Ogun State Polytechnic (now Moshood Abiola Polytechnic) and Ogun State University (now Olabisi Onabanjo University) in Nigeria, Littoral University, Benin Republic, Ceylon College of Applied Studies, Sri Lanka, American University for Science and Technology, California, USA, International Popular University, Sardinia, Italy, and St. Thomas University, Nicaragua, Central America, and so on.
Prof. Muhammad Omolaja is the founder, President and Chairman of Council of the British American University registered in Florida, USA and Delhi, India; and the University is operating in many countries. His other investment in the private sector of Nigeria include Fassil Company (Nigeria) Limited and International College of Management and Technology. As per political activism, MAO has been in politics for many years and he has contributed to democratic process cum national development via political participations in Nigeria.
He was a member of the defunct Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN), the Old Social Democratic Party (SDP), Alliance for Democracy (AD), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), All Nigerians Peoples Party (ANPP), Democratic Peoples Alliance (DPA), Action Democratic Party (ADP), Action Alliance (AA), and presently he is a prominent member of the New Social Democratic Party (SDP). Prof. Muhammad Omolaja is the Founder and National Chairman of the National Liberation Patriots (NLP) which is now a prominent national political Support Group under the Social Democratic Party (SDP). He has aspired for Senate under the ANPP, contested for Senate under the DPA and aspired for Federal House of Representatives under the PDP two times.
Prof. Muhammad Omolaja also aspired for Governorship under the platform of the All Progressive Congress (APC) during the 2019 general election in Ogun State, and he aspired for Presidency during the 2023 general election under the platform of the Action Democratic Party (ADP). Prof. Omolaja-Obe was the National Provost of the President Muhammadu Buhari Continuity Network (PMBCN), which was registered under the Presidential Support Committee (PSC) through the Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Political matters. He became the National Publicity Secretary of the political group after it was changed to Muhammadu Buhari Enduring Legacy Network On community participation, honors and awards, apart from being a Prince from the
Royal family of Emado Quarters, Ayetoro, Yewa North of Ogun State, Prof. Muhammad Omolaja has also received the Chieftaincy Title of Ike Mba 1 of Africa (The Strength of the People in Africa) from His Royal Highness Eze (Prof.) Ochendo Ogidi-Igbo, Ezendigbo of Ado Kingdom, Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria. He received a Lifetime Achievement Award from Forum for Interdisciplinary Research, India and Academic Excellence Award from Department of Political Science and International Relations, International Popular University, Italy, among many others Honours, Awards and Distinctions.
In terms of acceptability in every nook and corner of the country, MAO, The Ike Mba 1 of Africa, as a detribalized, nationalist and patriotic Nigerian, is a prominent member of the Yoruba Council of Elders (YCE), President of the Yoruba Elders Union (YEU), and the National Patron of Inzuko Ndi’Imo Organisation Worldwide. Therefore, he would enjoy the backing of prominent Southern Leaders in addition to the political leaders of substance from the northern belt that are already rallying round him. Hence, Alhaji (Chief) Muhammad Omolaja is very popular in the entire nation. He is particularly popular among the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) being a Comrade fellow of the Students’ Union (CFSU) and Professor of international connections; majority of his old and new students, as well as academic cum administrative colleagues, would have no option other than to admire and support him locally and internationally! Furthermore, MAO’s acceptability in the entire three geopolitical zones of the northwest, northeast and north central of Nigeria is beyond imagination because of his familiarity and strong network of friends, associates, and family members from the entire northern region of the country; and so also is it even in the three geopolitical regions in the southern belt.
The structure and popularity of the National Liberations Patriots (NLP) which spread across all States of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory also speak volumes and lend additional credence to the popularity of the great man! Prof. Muhammad Temilade Ugochinyere Ayinla Omolaja-Obe is a detribalized friend of the oppressed, nationalist, patriotic, philanthropist, goal getter, competent leader per excellence, and dedicated achiever; he loves problems solving all the time with a high degree of imagination. There is no iota of doubt that the Ike Mba 1 of Africa would be the right person to tackle the majority of the vices that have eaten deep into the Nigerian system including, but not limited to, insecurity, corruption, epileptic power supply, acute shortage of food, exorbitant pricing of fuel, poor education, unemployment, and unfavourable exchange rate against the Nigerian currency, industrialization problems to mention but a few. It is hoped that the leadership of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) will locate and support this great man, a new and neutral blood in national politics, and make him their presidential flag bearer during the forthcoming 2027 general election as many notable and influential Nigerians have already been queuing at his back even without him knowing. With these extremely rich volumes of credentials, it is obvious that Professor Muhammad Omolaja is the man Nigeria needs to paddle the canoe of the country at this time when a complete change of guards in governance becomes utmost important to recall the Nigerian economy back to life through appropriate reforms owing to his outstanding experience in human capital development as well as economy set up which spans over forty years.
This will probably allow the Party (SDP) to repeat their presidential electoral performance of 1993 especially when a prominent Ogun State man of Omolaja’s calibre is given the opportunity to compensate the State for the loss of their illustrious son and the winner of the 1993 presidential election – Bashorun MKO Abiola – as a capital sacrifice for democracy in Nigeria!