86 Amazing Facts About Olusegun Osoba As He Celebrates Today – By AZUH AMATUS
By Daylight
July 15, 2025
Aremo Olusegun Osoba
Today, Tuesday, July 15, is the birthday of Chief Olusegun Osoba, the former governor of Ogun State.
Aremo Osoba, a renowned and celebrated Nigerian journalist, newspaper manager, elder statesman and frontline politician is 86 years old today and still looking younger, fresher and stronger.
DAYLIGHT Publisher, Azuh Amatus, in this special birthday tribute, brings you, 86 amazing and fascinating facts about this undisputed national treasure, icon and patriot, who is unarguably one of the greatest Nigerian journalists, in the annals of the revered profession.
1 Name: Chief Olusegun Osoba.
2 He is a distinguished Nigerian journalist and celebrated media manager.
3 Chief Osoba is also a leading Nigerian politician and served twice as governor of Ogun state.
4 The national icon and patriot, who is 86 years-old today, was born on July 15, 1939.
5 He served first as the governor of Ogun state from January 1992 to November 1993.
6 He won his first ticket as governor under the defunct Social Democratic Party (SDP).
7 Painfully, Chief Osoba was removed from office as a governor, on November 17, 1993, by the late dictator and maximum ruler, Sani Abacha.
8 As a man of the people, he was re-elected again in 1999, as the governor of Ogun state.
9 In his second coming, Chief Osoba contested and won under the Alliance for Democracy (AD), party.
10 He held office and impacted Ogun state positively from 1999 to 2003.
11 This highly revered journalist began his journalism career in 1964 with Daily Times of Nigeria.
12 As a trainee reporter then, he covered crime stories and made huge impact as an investigative journalist.
13 And by 1966, he was already the Diplomatic Correspondent of the Times.
14 And two years later, 1968 to be precise, he became News Editor.
15 Cerebral Osoba rose to the position of Deputy Editor of the Sunday Times, in 1971.
16 And in 1972, just a year later, he was promoted Deputy Editor of the Times.
17 Chief Osoba reached the pinnacle of his journalism career when he became Editor of Daily Times in August 1975.
18 In November 1975, Osoba left Daily Times to take up appointment as GM of Nigerian Herald.
19 Chief Osoba later returned to Daily Times in 1984, as Managing Director and changed the fortunes of the media octopus.
20 This elder statesman and inspiration to millions, is also a respected international journalist.
21 Chief Osoba also worked as a stringer or local correspondent for some of the globally acclaimed media empires outside our shores.
22 He worked with the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC).
23 He also had a stint with The Times of London.
24 Chief Osoba’s imprimatur was also felt hugely at Newsweek Magazine.
25 The media giant was also at United Press International News Agency.
26 Chief Osoba, an exceptional journalist is also the chairman of the governing board of the Nigerian Institute of Journalism.
27 Widely travelled Chief Osoba is also a member of the executive board of the International Press Institute (IPI).
28 He represented black Africa on the board of IPI from 1984 to 1992.
29 Aremo Osoba is also a proud member of the Commonwealth Press Union, London.
30 Chief Osoba, a nationalist, was a member of the Nigerian Constituent Assembly, in 1998.
31 He was also a prominent member of the 2014 National Conference.
32 A highly decorated Nigerian, Chief Osoba holds the prestigious national honour of the Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (CFR).
33 He has also been recognised and conferred with the national honour of Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON), for his invaluable contributions to Nigeria.
34 Aremo Osoba, a complete family man and loving husband is happily married to Chief Aderinsola Osoba.
35 They are blessed with two sons and two daughters.
36 Chief Osoba’s well trained and respectful children are: Kemi, Olumide, Oluyinka and Tobi.
37 He is also a proud grandpa, courtesy of his children.
38 As a venerated culture icon, Osoba holds the chieftaincy title of Akinrogun of Egbaland.
39 This eminent and illustrious son of Ogun state, also holds the revered title of Aremo Awujale Ijebu, among other titles.
40 Osoba’s delectable and amiable wife holds the chieftaincy title of Beere Awujale Ijebu.
41 Aremo Osoba was born to Pa and Ma Jonathan Babatunde Osoba.
42 He attended Methodist Boys High School, Lagos, for his secondary education.
43 Chief Osoba also attended series of professional courses after completing high school education.
44 He obtained a diploma in journalism from the University of Lagos.
45 In 1967, Osoba did a one-year scholarship course in the UK, courtesy of the Commonwealth Press Union.
46 And in 1969, Chief Osoba studied in Bloomington, USA, at Indiana varsity’s department of journalism.
47 Aremo Osoba, in 1974 won the Nieman Fellowship award for journalism and did years of postgraduate study at Harvard University.
48 He holds the enviable record of being the first Nigerian to win the prestigious Nieman Fellowship for journalism.
49 Chief Osoba was born in Osogbo, Osun state, southwest, Nigeria.
50 He is one of the leaders and respected elders of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
51 As a chieftain of defunct NADECO, he was hunted and marked for death by the late maximum ruler, Sani Abacha.
52 In fact, under Abacha’s evil regime, several close attempts were made on his life and that of his family by Abacha’s killer squad led by Sergeant Rogers.
53 This great and unrepentant democrat suffered several arrests and persecutions under the infamous Abacha regime, but never relented.
54 In 1995, Abacha’s killer squad set his Abeokuta house on fire with the intention of roasting him alive, but he miraculously escaped.
55 Aremo Osoba, also hid in Oba Otudeko’s office for six weeks, while running from Abacha and his goons, during the early days of the June 12 struggle.
56 He was later arrested and detained at Police Force Headquarters, after coming out of hiding, for weeks.
57 Unknown to many, dreaded Sergeant Rogers, had once trailed Chief Osoba’s car from Lagos to Sagamu interchange with the intention of killing him. But God again, saved Aremo from a gruesome murder.
58 Akinrogun once hid in the Abule-Oja home of one of his aunties for months, while running and hiding from Abacha and his killer squad, who were hell bent on killing him.
59 According to Chief Osoba, two personalities left indelible marks in his growth and development.
60 One of these personalities was late Apostle Joseph Ayo Babalola, the founding father of Christ Apostolic Church, who happens to be Osoba’s maternal uncle.
61 Chief Osoba as a young lad also spent his holidays with Apostle Babalola in Efon Alaye.
62 In the words of Osoba, Apostle Babalola usually takes him along for his crusading tours and taught him inner spiritualism.
63 The second personality that was hugely instrumental in Aremo Osoba’s growth and development was the iconic Alhaji Babatunde Jose.
64 It was Pa Jose that aborted Chief Osoba’s original plan to read law. He mentored and nurtured Osoba’s legendary journalism career.
65 Alhaji Jose sponsored and exposed Osoba to some of the best institutions in the world to make him one of the best trained in the journalism profession.
66 Meanwhile, as a young reporter, Chief Osoba had a telephone in his house, a rarity those days. That privileged acquisition, further aided and elevated his job as a serious-minded and highly-focused/connected journalist. In fact, his high profile contacts and network of solid sources was unrivalled.
67 He also had a Vespa Scooter motorcycle, which aided his movement within Lagos, as a reporter.
68 Aremo Osoba, a generous and kind-hearted Nigerian moved to Lagos from Osogbo, Osun state, in 1955.
69 He began his secondary school education the following year, 1956, to be precise, at the Methodist Boys High School.
Osoba, a charismatic leader, was appointed a school prefect, in his final year at Methodist Boys.
71 He was also an active member of the Man O’ War, Boys’ Scout and Red Cross associations, in his secondary school days.
72 Osoba’s father, Pa Jonathan Babatunde worked for UAC, Osogbo branch. As a youth, he had earlier served in the Native Authority Police, in Abeokuta.
73 While his mother, Ma Elizabeth Remilekun Osoba, was a religious, loving and caring woman, who supported her husband in maintaining their home.
74 Chief Osoba was the first of the three children sired by their parents. He was followed by a girl-Labake, who died young, then came, his younger brother, Abiodun.
75 Interestingly, Akinrogun Osoba was one of the three employees recruited by the Daily Times in 1964, after passing his A-levels.
76 By 1966, Chief Osoba, as a young and very promising journalist had written himself into national recognition with several exclusive stories at the Daily Times.
77 It was Chief Osoba, as a young reporter with Daily Times, who discovered the lifeless bodies of Prime Minister Tafawa Balewa and Finance Minister, Okotie-Eboh, after the first military coup in Nigeria, in 1966.
78 Aremo Osoba was once arrested by security agents, as editor of Daily Times, for reporting his conversation with the then head of states, General Yakubu Gowon, in the newspaper.
79 He was also arrested during the Biafran-Nigerian civil war, upon his return from England, on a Commonwealth Press Union Journalism programme.
80 Before meeting Aremo Osoba, his amiable wife, Beere Aderinsola, worked with Nigerian Customs, as an officer. Osoba first met her in the line of duty, during clearance, upon return from England.
81 Chief Osoba is the author of the best-selling memoir – Battlelines: Adventures in Journalism and Politics.
82 Media heavyweights, Mike Awoyinfa and Dimgba Igwe, also honoured Chief Osoba with a captivating and insightful book: Olusegun Osoba: The Newspaper Years.
83 Another media giant, Mr. Lanre Idowu, through his Diamond Publications, also published a fascinating book on Aremo, titled: Segun Osoba-My Life In The Public Eye.
84 Aside being an outstanding and revered fellow of the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE), this retired but not tired ‘reporter’ regularly attends the annual conferences and biennial conventions of the guild, and equally participates actively.
85 Amazingly too, Chief Osoba’s son, Olumide is also following in the footsteps of his great and legendary father. He’s a politician and currently serving as a federal lawmaker representing Abeokuta North/Obafemi Owode/Odeda, in the House of Representatives.
86 Aremo Olusegun Osoba, a tested and trusted democrat and bridge builder, is one of the closest confidants of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Lastly, Chief Olusegun Osoba is a true and thorough bred Nigerian hero, undisputed national treasure/asset, and a rare African pride.
All of us at leading online newspaper, DAYLIGHT (www.backend.daylightng.com), are wishing Aremo Osoba, a happy and joyous birthday as he celebrates 86 years of impactful services and contributions to Nigeria, Africa and indeed, humanity, today, Tuesday, July 15, 2025.
Once again, happy birthday Sir, enjoy your special day and new age with smiles and more service/philanthropy to humanity.
Azuh Amatus (NGE), a multiple award-winning journalist and author of FAMOUS FACES…Interactions with Nollywood Stars and Stakeholders, is the publisher of DAYLIGHT Online Newspaper and Founder, DAYLIGHTTV.
