Akingbaso Festus Olanrewaju (Hon.)

About Akingbaso Festus Olanrewaju (Hon.)

Akingbaso Festus Olanrewaju

Hon. Festus Olanrewaju Akingbaso, popularly known as “Fessy West,” is a Nigerian politician and businessman from Ondo State. He is a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and currently represents the Idanre/Ifedore Federal Constituency of Ondo State in the House of Representatives. He was first elected to the National Assembly in 2023 on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) before later defecting to the APC in July 2025. He is also the APC candidate for the Idanre/Ifedore Federal Constituency in the 2027 House of Representatives election.

Akingbaso was born on June 6, 1970, and is from Idanre in Ondo State. Records from the Independent National Electoral Commission indicate that he holds tertiary qualifications, while legislative profiles identify him as a graduate with a Bachelor of Science degree. His early career and public activities were largely connected to Idanre and the wider Ondo political environment, where he became involved in grassroots organisation and community affairs.

His political career developed through local and state-level politics. He served as Executive Chairman of Idanre Local Government Council in 2015 and subsequently became a member of the Ondo State House of Assembly representing Idanre Constituency. His time in state politics established him as a grassroots political figure in the constituency and provided a foundation for his later move into federal politics. He was also involved in political activities within the PDP and became a prominent figure in the party's Ondo State structure.

In the 2023 general election, Akingbaso won the Idanre/Ifedore Federal Constituency seat and entered the 10th National Assembly. During his tenure, he has participated in legislative activities and served as Vice Chairman of the House Committee on Aviation. The National Assembly's committee records list him in that position alongside the chairman of the committee.

As a federal legislator, Akingbaso has sponsored bills covering financial regulation, information and communication technology, agriculture and health-related institutions. Among the bills attributed to him are proposals concerning amendments to the Central Bank of Nigeria Act and Dishonoured Cheques legislation, as well as bills seeking the establishment of an ICT institution, a Cocoa Research Institute and a Federal College of Health and Dental Technology in his constituency.

Beyond legislation, he has been associated with educational and community-development initiatives in Idanre and Ifedore. These have included student support programmes, scholarship and JAMB-form assistance, vocational training and other constituency interventions. His constituency activities have also included infrastructure, electrification and youth-oriented programmes.

In July 2025, Akingbaso formally defected from the PDP to the APC, bringing supporters from his constituency into the ruling party. He subsequently secured the APC ticket for the Idanre/Ifedore Federal Constituency ahead of the 2027 general election. The APC's current candidate directory lists him as its 2027 House of Representatives candidate for Idanre/Ifedore, meaning he is seeking another term representing the constituency in the National Assembly.