Personal Life:
B.Sc. Ph.D. Political Scientist, born January 13, 1934, Ogbomosho, Oyo State married Grace Aduke Omole-Godis October 8, 1966, one daughter, one son.
Hobbies:
Lawn tennis, Table tennis
Education:
Baptist Boys High School, Abeokuta, 1949 - 1954
Baptist College, Iwo 1955 - 1956
London School of Economics, London 1961 - 1964
University of Essex, Colchester 1965
University of Pittsburgh, USA 1968 - 1971
Appointed Lecturer:
University of Ife, 1966-73
University of Ibadan, 1973-82
Appointed Professor of Political Science:
University of Lagos, 1982 - retirement
Chairman, Board of Governors Ogbomoso High School, 1977-79
Guest Lecturer:
International Studies Center, University of California Berkeley, USA
Cartleton University, Ottawa, Canada,
University of North Carolina Greensboro, USA
Duke University, North Carolina, USA
University de Lausanne, Switzerland
Institute Universitaire d’Estudes du de Neuchutel, Switzerland
Stanford University, USA
East Carolina University, USA
Fulbright Scholar, African Studies Center, University of California Los Angeles,
First Holder of the Distinguished River Endowed Chair, East Carolina University, USA
Member of the 1975 Nigerian Constitution Drafting Committee
Director American International Insurance Company
Principal Researcher, National Electoral Commission
Member Constituent Assembly
Member Nigerian Political Bureau
Member National Electoral Commission
Executive Secretary, African Leadership Forum
Member of University Senate:
University of Ibadan 1976 - 1982
University of Lagos 1982 – retirement
Assessor of Professorship of Political Science:
University of Legon, Ghana
University of Benin
University of Ibadan
Ondo State University
University of Jos
University of Zimbabwe
Ahmadu Bello University
Obafemi Awolowo University
University of Calabar
Lagos State University
Survey of Nigerian Affairs, NIIA and Oxford University Press 1978
Nigerian Government and Politics Under Military Rule, Macmillan 1979
Survey of Nigerian Affairs 1966-77, The Macmillan and NIIA 1980
The Nigerian 1979 Elections, Macmillan 1981
Essays on Local Government and Administration, Lagos: Project Publication Limited 1992
Introduction to Political Science, Ibadan: Oyediran Consults International, 1998
"Part of what I know and will like to pass on to you all is that my father (Emmanuel Solademi Oyediran), for whatever reason wanted a son but his prayers were not answered until I came along in January 1934.
He appreciated the value of education very early. My four sisters who are older than me were sent to school. His conclusion was that these four will be married, leave his house and be known by another name.
In January 1945 I went to Abeokuta to live with Mr Otunla (a close family friend). From 1945 to 1950 my first cousin, Mr Akande, was responsible for my training (education). He left for London in 1950. I was then in my second year of the Baptist Boys High School, Abeokuta.
December 1950 was a very important month in my life. Before then my father had taken ill and continued to live in Ogbomoso. My brother, Oyegbile, joined me in Abeokuta. The problem was how both my brother and I will be able to continue our education.
The youngest of my elder sisters, late Mrs Mopelola Olaosebikan, my father and I decided that I should leave school and all of us should contribute to see that Oyegbile got his first school leaving certificate.
You can imagine how I felt throughout the holiday. I was to leave school not because I was not doing well but because of the poverty of my parents.
Before I was due to go back to Abeokuta in January of 1951, my father contacted his friend, Mr Dairo Otunla and they discussed the problem. They both decided that if my father had to borrow money to see me through school, he should. That was what led me to return to school.
Thank God I did not disappoint them both. I graduated from the BBHS and passed the school certificate in 1954.
I worked in three places in the first year after my graduation from high school - Government Printer, Ministry of Labour and School of Forestry.
On the advice of late Chief Gabriel Adebayo Otunla who had just returned from the United Kingdom in 1955 I went to the Baptist College Iwo. After two years I graduated and was posted to the BBHS to teach."
