Olujimi Kolawole Agbaje, born 1957, is a Nigerian pharmacist and politician. He was the 2015 People Democratic Party’s Lagos State governorship candidate but lost to Akinwunmi Ambode and was the Lagos State gubernatorial election candidate for PDP in the 2019 general election.
Jimi holds a bachelor degree in pharmacy from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife after which he managed a private pharmacy. In 1984, he founded his own company, JayKay Pharmacy and was Managing Director until 2005 when he decided to venture into politics.
When asked about how he began politics, he said “It had to do with the Moshood Abiola/Bashir Tofa presidential election. I saw the annulment as a personal insult and an assault on the Nigerian people. This led to my first entry into what I would call activism, working with other concerned professionals.”
This led him to join a socio-political organisation Afenifere where he served as national treasurer before joining Action Congress, his first party. In 2007, he defected the party to join Democratic People’s Alliance and contested in gubernatorial election alongside other major candidates- Musiliu Obanikoro of PDP, Femi Pedro of Labour Party (Nigeria) – lost to Babatunde Raji Fashola of the Action Congress (AC).
He was among the 11 aspirants that turned their back to the Action Congress (AC) when it was alleged that the then governor of Lagos State, Bola Tinubu had already anointed someone else to succeed him even before the party primaries.
He left the Democratic People’s Alliance in 2011 and went on to join the ruling party, People Democratic Party, following the de-registration of DPA by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). In 2015, he contested for governorship of Lagos State as well as 2019 where he lost to Babajide Sanwo-Olu in the gubernatorial election.
Despite all this, he is willing to remain in politics. According to him, “I remain in politics. My running for office is not at all cost. What role I will play is still very unclear but I believe I have a role to play in the politics of our country and of Lagos State.”
In addition, he has held several professional positions. Among are: member of the Pharmacy Council of NIGERIA (1999-2006), National Secretary of the Nigerian Association of General Practice Pharmacist (NAGPP) from 1987 to 1990, National Chairman NAGPP (1990-1993) and Chairman Pharmaceutical society of Nigeria Lagos State (1994–1997).
Jimi Agbaje also sits and the board of other organisations including Oakwood Park Ltd, Atlantic Hall Secondary School Epe, Lagos, Jimi Agbaje Outreach, a project dedicated to helping the less fortunate and served as a business mentor at Fate Foundation.
