Abel Guobadia

Sir Abel Guobadia OFR (28 June 1932 – 4 February 2011) was an educator, administrator, diplomat and retired public servant.

Education Guobadia was born on 28 June 1932, in Benin City, Nigeria. He attended C.M.S. Primary School in Benin City (1939–1945); Government College, Ibadan (1946–1951); University College Ibadan (1952–1957). In 1962, he won a scholarship for graduate studies in the United States of America and was awarded the Ph.D. in solid-state physics from the University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, US, in 1966.

In 1987, President Ibrahim Babangida appointed Guobadia as Nigeria's first resident Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Republic of Korea.

Upon retirement, Guobadia floated a private educational consulting firm, Advanced Educational Services Limited, that was responsible for developing academic programs for several universities in Nigeria. Guobadia and Professor T. M. Yesufu played an influential role in the establishment of the Igbinedion University, Okada in Edo State, Nigeria.

In 2000, the government of President Olusegun Obasanjo appointed Guobadia Nigeria's Chief Electoral Officer. Guobadia was confirmed as the Chairman of Nigeria's Independent National Electoral Commission by the Nigerian Senate in May 2000.

Guobada retired from this position in May 2005 becoming the first Chairman of the Electoral Commission since Nigeria's independence in 1960, to complete his tenure.

Guobadia has served as chairman and/or member of many boards, including that of the New Nigeria Bank, West African Examinations Council and the Standards Organization of Nigeria. He has served in several capacities on Governing Councils of several universities in Nigeria. Guobadia was former Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council of the Edo State University, Ekpoma. Guobadia was the President of the Science Teachers Association of Nigeria (STAN) from 1971 to 1976 and remains an honorary life fellow of STAN. He is a Special Member of the Senate of the University of Benin, Benin City. Guobadia died on 4 February 2011, at the age of 78.