Abeo Bamidele
His Excellency Abeo Bamidele ARCHONATVS IMPERIATOR | |
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| 5th Archonate of the Pacitalian Republic | |
| Assumed office January 1, 2024 | |
| Prime Minister | TBD[a] |
| Preceded by | Vittoria Agradossa |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Abeodozie Obiefuna Omochukwu Bamidele January 26, 1972 (age 52) Nwangele, Imo State, Nigeria |
| Nationality |  Pacitalian |
| Political party | Christian Democrats |
| Spouse | Tiwa Bamidele (m. 2013) |
| Children | 5 |
| Residence | Palmafiore |
| Alma mater | St. Mark's University (DTh) University of Saronno (BA) |
| Occupation | Preacher |
| Signature |  |
| Website | https://www.arch.gov.pc/ |
Abeodozie Obiefuna Omochukwu Bamidele (born January 26, 1972) is a Pacitalian preacher and politician who is the fifth and current Archonate of the Pacitalian Republic. He was the Christian Democrats' candidate in the 2023 Pacitalian archonal elections.
Born in east-central Nigeria to an Igbo father and Yoruba mother, Bamidele immigrated to Pacitalia as part of a visa grant program, arriving in the country in 2001. After studying commerce at the University of Saronno, Bamidele joined the seminary at St. Mark's University and earned a theology doctorate. He was naturalized in 2008.
Bamidele moved to Capagatta shortly afterward and joined the prelature of the Archbishop of Trasteveria, rising to become a bishop. He found himself more at odds with church leadership over time, and wanted the church to modernize to better connect with younger Pacitalians at a time when the country was becoming increasingly secular. He advocated for the church to use social media to attract Pacitalians to "come home", a call church leadership initially rejected. In late 2012, he resigned from the Archdiocese and the clergy, partnering with former like-minded parishioners from the Capagatta Cathedral to found a reformist, independent church called "Resurrection, Rebirth, Renewal".
The group initially leased space in a theological college in Capagatta, and eventually purchased an unused theatre, renovated it and converted it for use as a church. Though nominally Catholic, the church was not sanctioned or recognized as Roman Catholic; in addition, by the wider public, it was viewed as being evangelical in nature, especially as Bamidele's profile increased and he began to broadcast sermons on television and the internet.
Rumours of Bamidele's interest in seeking public office began to surface in 2018 and 2019, though he publicly denied interest in politics. He joined the Christian Democrats sometime in 2020 according to party records, further fueling speculation he would run, but Bamidele declined to contest the 2020 and 2021 elections. His name was floated as a potential candidate for Archonate starting in 2022. Bamidele formally announced his candidacy in April 2023, winning the Christian Democrats' primary in August. In the election, he won the largest share of votes in the first round, advancing to the runoff, where he defeated the Pacitalian Social Democratic Congress' Franco Russo by a nearly seven-point margin.
Bamidele's election platform reflected traditional Christian democrat values, advocating for social unity, poltiical pragmatism, liberal economic policies, moralism, and a strong social safety net. While his personal views have been labelled fiscally and socially conservative, Bamidele deliberately campaigned as a moderate to attract centrist votes, and repeatedly stressed that his personal views would not impact his decision-making as a politician. He has repeatedly faced attacks from the centre and left, charging that he has extreme views on same-sex marriage, abortion, medically assisted dying, and other contentious social issues. Bamidele, however, argued that "a good politician puts aside" their own views and governs from the centre as much as possible.
Bamidele's candidacy and visibility has been seen as indicative of the demographic shifts Pacitalia has undergone in the 21st century. He has dominated press coverage throughout the election campaign and he consistently led public opinion polling. His victory makes him the first Black Archonate and the first Black person to hold a nationwide office in Pacitalia. He is also the first Archonate who is an immigrant and not born in Pacitalia.
Bamidele began his term as Archonate on January 1, 2024.
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