SENATOR BABAFEMI OJUDU

TRUSTEE

Sen Babafemi was born on 27 March 1961 at Ado-Ekiti in Ekiti State. He attended Ado Grammar School in Ado-Ekiti (1973–1977), In 1976 he won a scholarship jointly sponsored by activist lawyer Gani Fawehinmi and Jùjú musicianKing Sunny Adé for indigent students of the state. In 1980 Ojudu was admitted to the of Ife, Ile-Ife to study English. He took an interest in journalism while at university, joining the Association of Campus Journalists and reporting for COBRA, a Campus Journal. He and two friends founded a journal called The Parrot, which he edited until graduating in 1984. On completing his National Youth Service, Ojudu worked as a reporter on The Guardian while attending the University of Lagos (1985–1986) where he studied for a Masters degree in Political Science. In 1987 Ojudu moved to African Concord magazine, starting as a Staff Writer and moving up to Assistant Editor. The job involved extensive travel in Nigeria and other African countries. In 1992 Ojudu resigned in protest over a request by M.K.O.Abiola, the publisher, to apologise to President Ibrahim Babangida over a critical story about the military regime. In 1993 he and other former workers at the African Concord established The News magazine, with Ojudu as its first Managing Editor. Later in 1996 Ojudu went to the USA for six months as a fellow at the School of Communications, Howard University, Washington, D.C.. On his return in June 1997 he was appointed Group Managing Editor of Independent Communications Network Ltd., publishers of The News, P.M. News and Tempo. He was arrested on 17 November 1997 after returning from a conference in Kenya. In addition to his Managing Editor work, both before and after the return to democracy Ojudu has been a member or chairman of several organizations and committees involved in media and human rights. In total, Ojudu spent 26 years in media practice before entering politics in 2010. He was elected into the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in the April 2011 election to represent Ekiti Central Senatorial seat.