… His Unbroken Run as Ekiti CPS
By Adeola Shittu
The reappointment of Olayinka Oyebode as Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to Ekiti State Governor Biodun Oyebanji for a second term has brought into focus a career spanning successive administrations, newsroom leadership and government communication.
With the latest appointment, Oyebode is set to serve his fourth gubernatorial term in the same position, having held the office under two governors: Kayode Fayemi and Oyebanji.
His journey from newspaper journalism to the Government House is significant, not only for its longevity but also for the continuity it represents in a position where political transitions often bring changes in personnel. To appreciate the significance of his latest reappointment, however, it is necessary to examine the history of the office and the professional journey that brought him to this point.
FOUR TERMS, TWO GOVERNORS: A DISTINCTIVE PLACE IN EKITI’S CPS HISTORY
Since Ekiti State returned to democratic governance in 1999, successive administrations have relied on different media professionals to communicate government policies, decisions and activities. The office has passed through several hands, reflecting the political transitions that have shaped the state.
Under Otunba Niyi Adebayo, the state’s first civilian governor, Gbenga Ogunremi served as CPS from 1999 to 2003. Idowu Adelusi occupied the position during Ayodele Fayose’s first administration, from 2003 to 2006, while Wale Ojo-Lanre served under Segun Oni between 2007 and 2010.
Oyebode joined the picture during Fayemi’s first administration. He joined the Ekiti State Government in December 2010 as Special Assistant on Media and was appointed CPS in June 2011. He remained in the position until Fayemi’s first term ended in October 2014.
When Fayose returned to office, Adelusi again occupied the CPS position during the 2014–2018 administration, before Lere Olayinka later emerged as the administration’s principal spokesperson. Fayemi’s return in October 2018 brought Oyebode back to the Government House as CPS, marking his second term in the position, which lasted until 2022.
The next political transition further extended his record. When Oyebanji assumed office on October 16, 2022, he appointed Oyebode as his CPS. In 2023, the governor also appointed him Special Adviser on Media and Strategy, adding an advisory responsibility to his communication duties.
Oyebode served throughout Oyebanji’s first term and was reappointed following the governor’s inauguration for a second term on October 16, 2026. He is therefore set to complete four gubernatorial terms as CPS: two under Fayemi and two under Oyebanji.
That sequence is the defining feature of his career. Rather than moving between several political officeholders, Oyebode has remained in the same position across two complete gubernatorial tenures under two different governors. His four-term record represents a notable chapter in Ekiti’s history of government communication, although a broader claim that he is the first to achieve this in the state would require a comprehensive historical comparison.
The office itself demands more than the preparation of press statements. A CPS communicates official positions, responds to media enquiries, explains government activities and maintains working relationships with journalists. The role requires an understanding of news production and editorial demands, as well as the judgement to convey an administration’s position accurately and clearly.
Oyebode’s professional background gives this responsibility particular significance. Before joining government, he spent years reporting and editing political news, gaining firsthand experience of the demands of public-interest journalism from the newsroom perspective. That experience provided the foundation for his eventual transition into government communication.
Born in Ido-Ile, Ekiti State, Oyebode studied English and Literary Studies at the then Ondo State University, Ado-Ekiti, now Ekiti State University. He later obtained a master’s degree in Peace and Security Studies from the same institution.
His professional development also included programmes at the International Institute for Journalism in Berlin, Germany, and the Austria Study Centre for Peace and Conflict Resolution in Schlaining, Austria. He also undertook further journalism training in Canada.
His journalism career began in 1996 at Post Express newspaper in Apapa, Lagos. He subsequently joined The Punch, where he rose through the newsroom ranks to become Assistant Editor. He later moved to The Nation as Assistant Editor, Politics, covering political developments and decisions that shaped public affairs.
These years in the media provided the groundwork for his eventual move into public service. In December 2010, he joined the Ekiti State Government as Special Assistant on Media to Fayemi. His appointment as CPS in June 2011 placed him at the centre of communication between the governor’s office, the press and the public.
When Fayemi left office in October 2014, Oyebode’s first stint as CPS came to an end. He, however, continued working with the former governor at the federal level, serving as Special Adviser on Media from 2015 to 2018, when Fayemi was Minister of Mines and Steel Development.
His responsibilities included communicating the ministry’s activities, editing its quarterly magazine and contributing to its public information efforts.
The federal appointment broadened his experience beyond state-level politics and exposed him to the communication demands of a federal ministry. When Fayemi returned to Ekiti in October 2018, Oyebode also returned as CPS, beginning another four-year stint at the Government House.
His retention by Oyebanji in 2022 marked another significant transition in his career. It meant that his experience in the office would continue under a new governor, while his latest reappointment has now extended that relationship into a second term. Both Fayemi and Oyebanji belong to the All Progressives Congress (APC), meaning Oyebode’s four-term record has unfolded under two governors from the same political party.
His professional profile also includes election coverage in Ghana, Sierra Leone, South Africa, the United Kingdom, the United States, Germany and Canada. These experiences form part of a career spanning political reporting, editorial work, media advisory services and government communication.
From Post Express to The Punch and The Nation, and eventually to the Ekiti State Government House, Oyebode’s career has remained closely connected to public affairs and the communication of political decisions.
His reappointment is more than the continuation of an existing role; it brings his fourth gubernatorial term into focus as a defining milestone in his professional journey.
As Ekiti begins another four-year administration under Oyebanji, Oyebode returns to the centre of the relationship between the governor’s office and the media. His story offers an insight into the value of newsroom experience in public communication and the continuity that can emerge when an administration retains a familiar voice across successive terms.
