Seyi Makinde

On March 30, 2020, Makinde announced via his social media accounts that he had tested positive for COVID-19. On April 5, 2020, he revealed that he had received his second negative test result for COVID-19 and was now free of the virus.

Makinde was born to a renowned teacher turned accountant, late Pa Olatubosun Makinde and Madam Abigail Makinde of Aigbofa Compound in Oja’ba, Ibadan. He is the third child of the family.

Seyi Makinde was elected into the Office of the Governor of Oyo State at the 2019 Gubernatorial elections for Oyo State which held on March 9, 2019. He polled 515, 621 votes defeating his closest rival, Adebayo Adelabu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) who polled 357,982 votes.

Makinde was sworn in as the 28th executive Governor of Oyo State on 29 May 2019. He took over from Senator Abiola Ajimobi after the latter's eight years in office.

In September 2017, the Caretaker National Chairman of PDP, Senator Ahmed Makarfi visited him in Ibadan and following extensive, deep and wide consultations with National Leaders, Oyo State leaders and elders of the Social Democratic Party, and cross sections of strategic partners within Oyo State, Engineer Seyi Makinde returned to his former political party, People's Democratic Party (PDP). He maintained that joining the PDP was not for personal gains but for the development of the State by finding lasting solutions to the array of problems facing the State. On September 29, 2018, Makinde emerged as the gubernatorial candidate of the People's Democratic Party (PDP) for the 2019 general elections for Oyo State, after polling 2772 votes at the primary election that took place at Liberty stadium, Oke Ado in Ibadan.

Makinde contested for the Oyo State 2015 gubernatorial seat on the platform Social Democratic Party (SDP).

In 2014, Makinde aimed for the Oyo State 2015 governorship ticket under the platform of the People's Democratic Party (PDP). In December 2014, upon the conclusion of the party's primary election, he was denied the governorship nomination ticket. Makinde however, remained true to his ambition and defected to the Social Democratic Party (SDP), under which platform he contested for the Oyo State 2015 SDP gubernatorial candidate, but lost out in the end.

In 2007, Makinde contested for the Oyo South Senatorial seat under the platform of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) but lost to the People's Democratic Party candidate- Kamoru Adedibu. Makinde remained undeterred by his first failed attempt and in 2010, under the People's Democratic Party, PDP, he aspired for the Oyo South 2011 Senatorial seat but lost the primary to the incumbent Oyo South Senator.

In 1998, Makinde trained at Industrial Control Services in Houston, Texas on Safety Shutdown System; and Development of Analytical Competence for Managing Operations at Lagos Business School (now Pan-Atlantic University) in 1999. In 2000, he had training in automation. In 2002, he studied Fundamentals of Crude Sampling at Jiskoot Auto Control Training Centre, Kent, England. Also, in 2005, he studied Understanding and Solving Complex Business Problems at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), USA.

In 1997, Makinde established his first business, Makon Engineering and Technical Services Limited (METS), after working for five years (1992-1997) with various international oil and gas companies, as the engineering manager. Until August 2018, he was the Group Managing Director of Makon Group of companies.

Makinde did his national service (NYSC) with Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) of Nigeria, where he was later engaged as a pupil engineer. He served in different capacities; handling and partaking in several key projects between 1990 and 1992. From 1992 to 1997, he worked as a field engineer (Eket operations) for Rebold International Limited and in 1995, he was appointed as Field Manager in the same company.

Makinde began his education at St Paul Primary School and completed his primary education at St Michael Primary School, Yemetu, Ibadan. His secondary education was at Bishop Phillips Academy, Monatan, Ibadan. In 1985, he gained admission to the University of Lagos (Unilag) where he earned his bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering.

Oluseyi Abiodun Makinde (born 25 December 1967) is a Nigerian businessman, politician and philanthropist. He is the governor of Oyo State in South-western Nigeria. He is an engineer and a subject matter expert on fluid and gas metering. Until August 2018, he was the Group Managing Director of Makon Group Limited; an indigenous oil and gas company in Nigeria. He established his first oil and gas private business, Makon Engineering and Technical Services (METS), at age 29 in 1997, after years of work experience with international oil and gas companies.