Omololu Olunloyo

 By Nehru Odeh

Dr Victor Omololu Olunloyo, former governor of Oyo State is dead. In a statement released by his family and signed by Oladapo Ogunwusi, he died a few days before his 90th birthday.

The statement titled ‘Victor Olunloyo goes home’ read, “With a heavy heart but gratitude to the Almighty, we announce the passing into glory of Dr. Victor Omololu Olunloyo, former governor of Oyo State, mathematician and engineer and renowned technocrat, a few days before his 90th birthday.

“The Balogun of Oyo and Otun Bobasewa of Ife, Dr. Olunloyo was first Rector, Ibadan polytechnic and first Rector, Kwara State Polytechnic among other notable appointments.

“His long record of service to the nation and humanity is a source of pride to his family and associates even as we come to grip with this devastating event.

“The Olunloyo family will appreciate the understanding of the press and the public as they commence efforts to give him a befitting burial.

“Even from everlasting to everlasting, He is God.”

However, the intriguing thing about Olunloyo’s demise is that he had been rumoured dead twice. in April 2024, the rumour of the death of the elder statesman was reported by some news platforms.

But Olunloyo debunked the rumour, saying he was hale and hearty . “I’m still here, not yet gone,” he declared then.

He also expressed worry over the rumour and asked who would live forever, stressing, “Those breaking death news and the person presumed dead will all die one day.

“I’ve been lucky. My father died at 42, while my mother died at 102. I’m 89. I’ve crossed the expected life age.”

Another rumour of the death of the elder statesman also hit several news platforms on June 7, 2022. He noted that the rumour mongers claimed that he died at the University College Hospital, Ibadan.

A few days later, the family issued a statement, declaring that he was not dead but suffering from old age ailment and asked Nigerians to pray for him to survive the health complications.

Olunloyo  was a Nigerian mathematician and politician who served briefly as the governor of Oyo State from 1 October 1983 to 31 December 1983, when the military regime of General Muhammadu Buhari took power. He later became a strong political force in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Oyo State.

Born in Ibadan on 14 April 1935, his father, Horatio Olunloyo was Christian and his mother Alhaja Bintu Tejumola Abebi Olunloyo who died October 2013 at 102-year-old was Muslim.His father died in December 1948 when Victor Olunloyo was 13 years old.

Olunloyo gained a Ph.D. from St. Andrews University in 1961. His thesis was on the Numerical Determination of the Solutions of Eigenvalue Problems of the Sturm–Liouville Type. He published several other papers on number theory and applied mathematics.

Olunloyo was appointed Commissioner for Economic Development for the Western Region in 1962 at the age of 27. He was re-appointed when Colonel Adeyinka Adebayo was appointed military governor of Western. He also held other political appointments in successive governments

He ran for governor of the old Oyo State on the platform  of the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) in 1983 and defeated the incumbent, Bola Ige of the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN).

He assumed office in October 1983. His term ended three months later when General Muhammadu Buhari took power and dismissed the elected government on December 31, 1983.