Former Military Administrator of Bayelsa State, Captain Omoniyi Caleb Olubolade (rtd), is dead.
Olubolade, who was also Minister of Special Duties, Minister of State, FCT and Minister of Police Affairs, reportedly slumped on Sunday and died afterwards.
He held a three-day celebration of his 70th birthday on November 30, 2024, last year.
Then, eminent Nigerians gathered and celebrated his 70th birthday held in Yenagoa, capital of the South-South state.
At the three-day event, thousands of Bayelsans trooped out to felicitate the Ipoti-Ekiti-born retired officer for laying the foundation for Bayelsa’s development between 1997 and 1998, after its being carved out of Rivers State by the Late General Sani Abacha and Olubolade, who appointed the Military Administrator (MILAD) in June 1997.
Olubolade, the Ipoti-Ekiti-born retired officer, died in Apapa, Lagos.
According to a statement by his first daughter, Mrs. Oluwayemisi Akinadewo and first son, Mr. Dayo Olubolade, he left the house to play lawn tennis at a nearby facility where he slumped.
“He drove himself to the facility to play lawn tennis in the evening and slumped while playing. Efforts were made by medical officers around to revive him to no avail.
“He was immediately rushed to Obisesan Naval Medical Hospital, Apapa where he was pronounced dead.”
Navy Captain Omoniyi Caleb Olubolade (born 30 November 1954) was a former Military Administrator of Bayelsa State, Nigeria who was appointed Minister of Special Duties on 6 April 2010, when Acting President Goodluck Jonathan announced his new cabinet.
Born 30th November 1954 at Ipoti-Ekiti in Ijero LGA of Ekiti State, he was commissioned into the Nigerian Navy in 1974, and attended courses including the Britannia Royal Naval College, UK in 1975 and the Naval College of Engineering, India in 1979.
On 9th June 1997, he was appointed military administrator of the newly created Bayelsa State by the military government of General Sani Abacha.
Olubolade retired from the Nigerian Navy in 1999 at the start of the new democratic regime (Fourth Republic).
In April 2006, Olubolade was briefly arrested during a House of Representatives by-election in the Ekiti South II Federal Constituency.
He was an aspirant to become Action Congress (AC) candidate for Governor of Ekiti State in the April 2007 elections.
Later in 2006, he defected to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and appointed Chairman of the Ekiti State Project Monitoring Committee by Governor Segun Oni.
Olubolade was a front runner in the Ekiti state governorship race 2014 election, under the People’s Democratic Party.
