Teslim Kolawole Folarin is a Nigerian politician and three-term Federal Republic of Nigeria Senator. In 2003, 2007, and 2019, he served in the National Assembly. He is currently the All Progressive Congress (APC) Gubernatorial candidate in the upcoming 2023 election.
Early Life and Education
Folarin was born on October 1, 1963, in Zaria, Kaduna State, to Alhaji and Alhaja Hamzat Folarin. He was born in the Oja Igbo section of Oyo State’s Ibadan North-East Local Government Area in Baale House. Folarin is the Head (Mogaji) of his family house and a ranked traditional chief in Ibadan territory. He is the Laguna Olubadan of Ibadan.
Folarin attended Lagos primary school and Methodist Boys High School, Nigeria’s finest high school. Folarin holds a Bachelor of Science (Hons) degree in Political Science from the University of Ibadan, as well as a diploma from Harvard University in the United States. Before entering politics in 2002, Folarin completed his obligatory NYSC duty in Kaduna state.
Career
He began his civil service career in the United Kingdom, where he spent several years gaining excellent civil service experience, including executive positions at the Department of Trade in London, before returning to Nigeria in 2002.
Folarin ran for and won the Senate seat representing Oyo Central on the PDP platform in 2003, at the age of 39, and was re-elected for a second term on the same platform in 2007. Folarin is the only Oyo State legislator who has served in the Senate for two terms. In the Senate, he was appointed Leader of the Senate.
Folarin also served on the Senate Committees on Business and Rules, Marines, and Transportation, though education, electricity supply, and water resources were his main interests. Teslim Folarin testified in the 2008 power investigation. He presided over debates on all executive measures as Senate President and introduced numerous private bills himself. Among these are the Insurance Act, the Armed Forces Pension Act, and a number of others.
Folarin was elected governor in 2014 on the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) platform. In the election, he was beaten by the incumbent governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi of the All Progressives Congress. Folarin switched to the opposition All Progressive Congress in December 2017. In September 2018, Folarin was elected as the All Progressive Congress (APC) senatorial candidate for Oyo South.
In the 2019 Oyo central senatorial district election, Folarin defeated the incumbent senator, Mrs Monsurat Sunmonu, and other contenders. He is the Chairman of the 9th Senate’s Senate Committee on Local Content. He also serves on the National Intelligence, INEC, Inter-parliamentary, Constitutional Review, Finance, SDG, and Air Force committees.
Personal life
Folarin was married with two children to Late Barr. Angela Folarin. She died on January 28, 2022, in the United Kingdom at the age of 47.
Controversy
Senator Teslim Folarin was once arraigned before a Magistrate Court, Ibadan over the killing of a former factional leader of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Oyo State branch, Alhaji Lateef Salako, a.k.a Eleweomo.
Ramoni Jayeoba, Bankole Olaide Raji, and Raimi Ismaila were charged with him on a two-count charge of conspiracy and murder.
Net Worth
Teslim Folarin is a senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and a well-known politician in Nigeria. Nothing much is known about his business and investments. He is thought to be worth about $5 million.
