Barrister Adegboyega George OGUNTUWASE: (1958 – 2025)
A Profile
Some lives announce themselves quietly; others arrive already carrying a glow.
Adegboyega George Oguntuwase was born with the glow. A child of distinction from the Ìsùnrìn compound of the historic town of Ikole-Ekiti, he inherited a lineage of courage, refinement, and uncommon accomplishment.
He was surrounded by greatness from birth. His father, Alfred Ayotunde Oguntuwase, was a brilliant lawyer whose reputation travelled across the Southwest and beyond, fearlessly taking on controversial—and occasionally dangerous—cases. His performances in courtrooms from the 1960s to the 1990s became legendary: sharp, elegant, and unflinchingly courageous.
His mother, Eunice Ebunoluwa, embodied ambition long before it became fashionable among Nigerian women. At a time when Elder Dempster ships ferried students for weeks between Apapa and Liverpool, she journeyed to England to study nursing and returned to serve with distinction across Yorubaland. Her discipline and sense of purpose shaped the world into which Georgie was born.
In 1958, his arrival justified his name—Adegboyega, “the crown has elevated me.” It was as though destiny had whispered a yes before he uttered his first cry.
Early Exposure to Politics and Society
Georgie’s childhood unfolded in the early years of Nigeria’s independence. His family home was a salon of political conversation, often receiving influential figures whose debates and strategic manoeuvres shaped the young nation. Georgie listened, observed, and absorbed. These encounters sharpened his instincts and cultivated the political consciousness that would later shape his public life.
Education and the Making of a Campus Icon
He began his education in Ado-Ekiti, attending primary school and later Annunciation Secondary School. His intellectual promise followed him to the Institute of Continuing Education in Benin, where he completed his A-Levels.
In 1980, Georgie entered the prestigious University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University) to study History. There, he became a campus figure—eloquent, handsome, socially vibrant, politically aware. He carried himself with aristocratic grace, a trait that endeared him to many and unsettled a few.
It was inevitable that he would seek leadership.
When he ran for the presidency of the Students’ Union, he changed the culture of campus campaigning. Candidates had long scribbled their names on cardboard sheets; Georgie introduced professionally shot full-colour posters, instantly elevating the theatre of student politics. His charisma and modern flair electrified the campus but provoked ideological resistance from the far-left bloc. At the decisive speech night, they orchestrated a hostile crowd that cost him the election.
He lost to Chris Fajemifo—but gained honour, visibility, and resilience. He left Ife with his dignity intact, and with a sharpened political instinct that would soon find its fulfilment elsewhere.
The Game of Princes: Triumph at the University of Ibadan
If Ife was his apprenticeship, Ibadan was his coronation.
After NYSC in Port Harcourt, Georgie chose to follow his father’s path and enrolled at the University of Ibadan to study Law. What unfolded there would become part of the rich folklore of the Faculty of Law.
The current Dean of the Faculty, Prof. J.O.A. Akintayo, captures this era vividly in his tribute “The Game of Princes.” He recalls the vibrant, intellectually charged, highly competitive world of LSS politics, where generations of brilliant students fought for ideas, influence, and legacy.
According to the Dean, the year Georgie entered the race for President of the Law Students Society (LSS) was a decisive one. The outgoing administration had been led by the Benin prince, Aghatise Erediuwa, whose own election was fiercely contested. The next race was set to be another battle among giants.
Two prominent aspirants emerged:
• Olugboyega (Georgie) Oguntuwase,
• Prince Abioye Oloyede Asanike, son of the reigning Olubadan of Ibadan.
It was, in the Dean’s memorable phrasing, “a game of princes.”
But Georgie was no ordinary challenger.
The campaign took on a historic flavour. One memorable slogan circulating at the time—almost certainly from Georgie’s camp—declared:
“The LSS presidency cannot be a monopoly of princes and princesses.”
It was a brilliant jab, witty and subversive enough to sway hearts.
And history favoured him.
When the votes were counted, it was Georgie—once defeated at Ife—who succeeded the Prince of Benin, not the Prince of Ibadan.
His election remains one of the most storied victories in the history of the Faculty of Law, University of Ibadan. It was a triumph not only of strategy and eloquence but of character, resilience, and democratic persuasion.
From Ife’s bitter loss emerged Ibadan’s sweet victory.
What Ife denied him, Ibadan returned abundantly.
Career and Public Life
Following his LL.B and Call to the Bar, Georgie ventured briefly into journalism, serving as Sub-Editor at The Punch and Nigerian Tribune, where he was admired for his clarity and sharp editorial mind.
Returning to Ekiti, he entered public service.
He served as Commissioner for Information and Civic Orientation under Governor Ayo Fayose and later became Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ekiti State, before returning to full legal practice.
He was a political actor with intellectual depth—combining eloquence, strategic thinking, and a refined sense of public duty.
A Mind of Many Tongues
Georgie spoke English, Yoruba, and Ekiti dialect with equal ease. His oratory could charm, persuade, provoke, or illuminate. He embodied Emerson’s reflection:
“The eloquent man is he who is no stranger to the great thoughts of his time.”
Conversations with Georgie were experiences—enriched with history, poetry, politics, and humour.
Transition
At about 2:30 p.m. on November 20, 2025, after a brief illness, Barrister Adegboyega George Oguntuwase departed this world. His passing left a silence that echoes across the political, legal, and cultural landscapes of Ekiti and beyond.
He is survived by his wife, Adebisi;
two accomplished daughters—
• Nifemi,an accountant and a Human Resource Specialist,
• Feyikemi, a medical doctor;
and his siblings:
1. Pastor Abayomi Oguntuwase
2. Mrs Iyabo Ubogagu (née Oguntuwase)
3. Mr Oladipupo Oguntuwase
4. Mr Oluwatosin Oguntuwase
5. Mrs Motunrayo Ogunseemi (née Oguntuwase)
6. Mrs Olufunke Ajayi (née Oguntuwase)
7. Mrs Tolulope Folayan (née Oguntuwase)
A Life of Grace, Courage, and Conviction
Georgie lived fully—with charm, courage, generosity of spirit, and a mind sharpened by history and experience. He walked through life like one born for the stage, leaving footprints on law, journalism, politics, and in the hearts of all who encountered him.
May his memory continue to be a blessing.
Dear readers, we really need your support to keep on serving you with authoritative, truthful, and juicy stories everyday. For your support, please reach out to the editor @gavelinternational66@gmail.com