John Olukayode Fayemi CON was born February 9, 1965 in Ibadan. He is a Nigerian politician who served as governor of Ekiti State from 2018 to 2022. He previously served in office between 2010 and 2014 before losing re-election to Ayodele Fayose.

He was also the Minister of Solid Minerals Development in President Muhammadu Buhari's cabinet from November 11, 2015 to May 30, 2018, when he resigned to contest for a second term as Governor of Ekiti State. He is the pioneer president of the Forum of Regions of Africa (FORAF) since September 9, 2022.

Fayemi had his primary education at ICC Primary School, Agodi, Ibadan, Oyo State between 1970 and 1975 and attended Christ's School Ado Ekiti from 1975 to 1980.

He later went on to receive degrees in history, politics and international relations from the University of Lagos and University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University). From 1989 to 1992, he earned a doctorate in war studies from King's College London, specializing in civil-military relations.

In 2006, Fayemi made his entry into partisan politics ahead of the 2007 election during which he contested for Governor of Ekiti State under the defunct Action Congress. After three and a half years fighting through the legal system, on October 15, 2010 the appeal court sitting in Kwara state declared Fayemi the duly elected Governor of Ekiti State.

Fayemi recontested for a second term as Ekiti state governor under the platform of the All Progressive Congress in the July 14, 2018 governorship election and won after resigning as the Minister of Solid Minerals Development. He was officially declared the winner of the 2018 Ekiti State gubernatorial election by the Independent National Electoral Commission on July 15, 2018. He won by 19,345 votes against the Peoples Democratic Party's Kolapo Olusola Eleka who was second.

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