By Emman Ovuakporie
As Prof. Oserheimen Aigberaodion Osunbor clocks 75 today, October 5, 2026, Nigeria celebrates a distinguished legal scholar, administrator, legislator and former governor whose public career has spanned academia, law, legislation and executive governance. Born on October 5, 1951, in Iruekpen, in present-day Esan West Local Government Area of Edo State, Osunbor has over the decades built a reputation around law, public service and national affairs.
His career has taken him from the classroom and courtroom to the National Assembly and the Edo State Government House. His record is particularly notable for the combination of academic excellence and political experience that has characterised his public life.
Key Highlights
- Prof. Oserheimen Osunbor turns 75 on October 5, 2026.
- He graduated with First Class Honours in Law from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and earned a PhD at Warwick as a Rhodes Scholar.
- He became Professor of Law at Lagos State University in 1990 and later served as Dean of the Faculty of Law.
- He represented Edo Central in the Senate from 1999 to 2007, earning the sobriquet “Attorney-General of the Senate”.
- He served as Governor of Edo State from May 2007 until the Court of Appeal upheld the nullification of his election in November 2008.
- In 2026, he serves as National Legal Officer of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
A Scholar From an Early Age
Osunbor began his education at the P.T.T.C. Demonstration Primary School, Igueben, where he studied from 1957 to 1962. He proceeded to Anglican Grammar School, Ujoelen, Ekpoma, from 1963 to 1968, and later attended Holy Trinity Grammar School, Sabongida-Ora, for his sixth-form education. He was admitted to the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, where he studied law between 1971 and 1975 and graduated with a First Class Honours degree in law. His undergraduate performance earned him the Certificate for the Best Faculty Student and the Certificate for the Best Student in the Department of Public and Private Law.
He proceeded to the Nigerian Law School, Lagos, and was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1976. He also received the certificate for the student with the best overall performance in the Nigerian Bar Examination and the Dr. Taslim Olawale Elias Prize. His academic journey subsequently took him to the University of Warwick in Coventry, England, as a Rhodes Scholar. He earned a PhD in Law in 1981. His doctoral thesis focused on directors’ and shareholders’ participation in corporate administration and the governance of large public companies.
From the Lecture Room to the Senate
Osunbor began his academic career as a Lecturer in Law at Kaduna Polytechnic during his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) period between 1976 and 1977, where he taught Company Law, Commercial Law and General Principles of Law. He later joined the University of Lagos as a Lecturer II in 1981 and rose through the academic ranks to become Lecturer I and subsequently Senior Lecturer. In 1990, he was appointed Professor of Law at the Lagos State University. He later served as Professor and Head of the Department of Business Law and subsequently as Dean of the Faculty of Law.
His academic career also included a stint as Visiting Fellow at Queen’s University Belfast and participation in the Salzburg Seminar on Transnational Law and Legal Institutions. Beyond teaching and administration, Osunbor has practised law, with particular emphasis on legal drafting and litigation, since 1976.
The ‘Attorney-General of the Senate’
In 1999, with the return of democratic rule, Osunbor entered the Senate on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, representing Edo Central Senatorial District. He was re-elected in 2003, serving two terms until 2007. His legislative career was distinguished by his involvement in committees dealing with some of the most important areas of national governance, including justice, human rights and legal matters, rules and procedures, ethics, government affairs and electoral issues.
He also chaired the Senate Committee on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), as well as the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters. He was involved in several Senate and National Assembly joint and ad-hoc committees, including work connected with constitutional amendment and the legislative list. His strong legal background and active participation in legislative affairs earned him the informal sobriquet “Attorney-General of the Senate” among his colleagues, a reflection of the prominent role he played in legal and legislative debates during his years in the upper chamber.
His legislative record also included sponsorship of bills touching on electoral legislation, the National Industrial Court and the revision of the Laws of the Federation.
Governor of Edo State
In the 2007 governorship election, Osunbor was elected governor of Edo State on the PDP platform and assumed office on May 29, 2007. His tenure, however, was cut short following a legal challenge to the election. The Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal nullified his election in March 2008 and declared Adams Oshiomhole the winner. Osunbor challenged the decision, but on November 11, 2008, the Court of Appeal sitting in Benin City upheld the tribunal’s decision. The court’s judgment brought his tenure as governor to an end.
The 2007 election and the subsequent litigation remain part of the history of Edo State’s post-1999 democratic experience.
A Short Tenure, An Ambitious Development Agenda
Despite spending roughly 17 months in office, Osunbor’s administration pursued programmes across several sectors, including roads, education, health, agriculture and security.
Contemporary accounts of his administration highlighted road rehabilitation and construction, efforts to revive agricultural development, renewed attention to education and bursary programmes, as well as investments in security.
His administration’s development philosophy was captured in its aspiration of “Taking Edo State to Greater Heights of Excellence.” One of the areas he placed considerable emphasis on was agriculture. His administration sought to revive the state’s agricultural farm settlements and strengthen agricultural production, with the broader objective of improving food security and creating economic opportunities.
His supporters and political associates have continued to point to the pace of projects undertaken during his relatively short period in office as an important part of his gubernatorial legacy.
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Beyond Office: A Voice in National Affairs
Osunbor’s public engagement did not end with his tenure as governor. He has remained active in national discourse, regularly commenting on constitutional reform, electoral reform, democratic institutions, governance and the rule of law. In recent years, he has continued to speak publicly on Nigeria’s political development. In 2024, for example, he spoke on electoral reforms, constitutional governance and concerns about the rule of law.
In 2026, he became prominently involved in the African Democratic Congress (ADC), serving as the party’s National Legal Officer. In July 2026, he publicly commented on a Court of Appeal decision concerning the party’s congresses. In May 2026, he also appeared on Channels Television’s Politics Today, where he discussed the country’s emerging political realignments and described the ADC as a platform he believed could provide a credible alternative ahead of the 2027 elections.
These recent engagements demonstrate that, even at 75, Osunbor remains an active participant in Nigeria’s political and constitutional conversation.
A Life of Service and Scholarship
Beyond politics, Osunbor’s contribution to Nigeria includes his years as a legal educator, author and practitioner. His career has been marked by a rare combination of scholarship and practical public service: a professor who entered the legislature, a lawyer who served as governor, and a legislator whose legal expertise shaped his contributions to legislative business.
He has also received numerous honours and recognitions for his contributions to education, law, public service and society. He has been associated with the Anglican Communion and has served as Chancellor of the Esan Diocese of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion). He was also conferred with a Doctor of Letters (D.Litt.), honoris causa, by Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma.
A Personal Legacy
Osunbor is married to Lady Ussieh Osunbor, and they are blessed with six children. At 75, his story is therefore more than that of a former governor or two-term senator. It is the story of a man whose professional journey has traversed the university classroom, the legal profession, the National Assembly and the executive branch of government.
From Iruekpen to the University of Nigeria, from Warwick to the lecture halls of Nigerian universities, from the Senate chamber to the Edo State Government House, Professor Oserheimen Osunbor has spent decades participating in the intellectual, legal and political development of Nigeria.
His 75th birthday offers an opportunity not only to celebrate the milestone but also to reflect on a career defined by law, scholarship, public service and continued engagement with national affairs.
Happy 75th birthday, Senator Professor Oserheimen Aigberaodion Osunbor. May the years ahead bring continued strength, wisdom and fulfilment as you remain engaged in the service of your people and the wider Nigerian project.
Emman Ovuakporie, a journalist, writes from Abuja.
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