For Tayo Akinmade Ayinde, the field of politics has offered him the needed space to serve humanity. His 16-year stint as a security officer before he voluntarily bowed out in 2009 did not really allow him to stay long enough in Ikeja, his local government area to play politics. He was always on national assignment.
The 55-year-old Ayinde, who joined the State Security Service (SSS), now the Department of State Services (DSS), in 1993 after working briefly as Account Officer in the TELL Magazine, served as Head of the Accounts Department of the Shangisha Office of the Security Service between 1993 and 1999.
He was later deployed to Lagos House where he served as Chief Security Detail to Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Governor of Lagos State at the time.
After retiring from service in 2009, he later worked closely with the All Progressives Congress (APC) stalwart before the run-up to the last governorship election in the Centre of Excellence offered the opportunity to play politics in his locality.
His close association and experience working with the APC chieftain brought the best out of the security officer-turned politician in 2018, when he was named as the Director-General of the Independent Campaign Group for the Mr. Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu and Dr. Kadri Obafemi Hamzat’s governorship campaign team.
After his candidates won the March 9 governorship election, Ayinde got another responsibility as the Chairman of the Inauguration Committee.
His announcement as Chief of Staff to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu was described in many quarters, especially his Ikeja political constituency, as an appointment well-deserved.
Ayinde, born on August 24, 1964, in Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos, attended St Peters’ Anglican Primary School, Alausa, Ikeja where he obtained his First School Leaving Certificate before proceeding to Ogudu Grammar School, Ojota, Lagos where he sat and obtained his West African School Certificate.
He gained admission into Federal Polytechnic, Anambra and was awarded the Ordinary National Diploma (OND) in Banking and later the Higher National Diploma (HND) in Accountancy.
While in the SSS, Ayinde distinguished himself as a dedicated, loyal, courageous and trustworthy officer, before he quit to pursue a private life in 2009.
Since his return in June to Alausa Government House as the CoS to the Lagos Governor, Ayinde, who holds a Master’s Degree (MBA) in Financial Management from the Lagos State University, has been a jolly good fellow.
He also attended the University of Toronto, Rotman School of Management, where he underwent a Course of Study in Strategic Thinking Approach.
Ayinde later attended the University of Cambridge, Judge Business School for a Course of Study in Business Model Innovation. Not done yet, he went further to study Strategic Financial Analysis for Business Evaluation at Harvard Business School, Boston, USA.
All these were in addition to his professional training on VIP protection and anti-terrorism in the best Institutions in Israel and the UK.
A committed supporter of universal human values and an advocate of support for the less privileged, Ayinde has touched many lives for the better.
He is a devout Christian, is happily married and blessed with children.
