Respected journalist, Bayo Onanuga, declares interest in Ogun senatorial seat

The senatorial aspirant expressed disgust at the inability the federal government to provide for the welfare of the people, including retirees.

Multiple award winning magazine publisher, editor and reporter, Bayo Onanuga, has declared intent to run for the Ogun East Senatorial District seat in the next general elections in Ogun State.

Mr. Onanuga, who is the Managing Director/CEO of The News/PM News newspapers, made this known on Sunday at Ijebu- Ode, Ogun state. He said he would be contesting for the seat on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC.

Ogun East Senatorial District consists of nine local governments, with Ijebu having six local government areas while Remo has three.

The former Editor of now rested African Concord magazine, who said politics is not a do or die affair for him, also expressed disgust at the inability the federal government to provide for the welfare of the people, including retirees.

“Over 90 per cent of the people of the nation are living below poverty level. My priority is to reduce poverty and help in finding jobs for the teeming unemployed youths,” he told PM News.

The event was attended by party members from all the wards in Ijebu Ode local government area including Wale Adedayo, the former Chief Press Secretary to Governor Gbenga Daniel, the women leader, Wura Arigbabuwo; Bisi Balogun, Coordinator(Women Advancement Forum(WAFO), Ijebu Ode Local Government, and youth leaders.

Mr. Onanuga was born into the royal house of Anikilaya in Ijebu Ode in June 1957.

He attended Moslem Primary School, Isoku, and Ijebu Muslim College, both in Ijebu Ode for his primary and secondary education. He went on to attend the University Of Lagos.

He was among the pioneer staff of Ogun State Television, OGTV, in 1982, where he worked for a year and a month before he resigned to pursue career in print journalism.

He joined The Guardian as one of its pioneer staff and later left to start his own newspaper, The Weekly Titbits, which exited the scene after two editions.

He later joined the National Concord as a Senior Features Writer in 1985 and rose to become the Editor of the African Concord magazine, where he resigned in April 1992 and teamed up with Seye Kehinde (now publisher City people magazine), Dapo Olorunyomi (now Editor-in-chief of PREMIUM TIMES), Sani Kabir, Idowu Obasa (ex- chairman, Onigbongbo local government in Ikeja), Babafemi Ojodu (now Senator representing Ekiti State) and Kunle Ajibade (Executive Editor, The News and PM news) to establish The News magazine in 1993.

Mr. Onanuga was among many journalists who suffered persecution during the military era in the country and fled into exile in December 1997 to fight the tyrannical rule of the Sani Abacha junta then.