Prof. Ajayi started his academic career at the Ondo State University, Ado-Ekiti (Now Ekiti State University, EKSU) in 1990 as a Graduate Assistant and rose through the ranks to become a Professor in 2006. In the course of his illustrious career, Prof. Ajayi has won many academic awards including the; Advanced Fellowship Scholarships at the Institute of Child and Youth Studies, Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa (CODESRIA), Dakar, Senegal, and the Center for Women Studies and Gender Relations, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada. He had also won the TETFUND Research Awards.
While in the University, he served in various administrative positions some of which include: Head of Department, Sub-Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, Dean of Student Affairs: Director of Programmes, Chairman of Committees, Member of Appointment and Promotion Committee; and Member of the Governing Council of the University.
Outside of the University, he has served as the National University Commission’s (NUC) Accreditor to many Universities. He also has served as External Examiner to a number of Universities such as, Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), University of Ibadan (UI), University of Ilorin, Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna, The Nigerian Police Academy, Kano, University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa and others. Apart from Prof. Ajayi’s contribution to the NUC, he is also an Assessor of the Professorial cadre to many Universities including; University of Ibadan, Obafemi Awolowo University, Covenant University, Landmark University, Adekunle Ajasin University, to mention a few.
Prof. Kunle Ajayi is a prolific writer and has published a number of works on Nigerian Government, Politics and Election Administration in Nigeria. These include; The Concept of First Lady and Politics in Nigeria (2010), “Election in Nigeria and the Challenges of the 2007 Elections” (2008); “Is This Democracy? The Leadership Crisis in Africa” (2007); “Security Forces, Electoral Conduct and the 2003 General Elections in Nigeria” (2006); “Economic Reforms and Democratic Consolidation in Nigeria” (2006); Perspectives on Democracy and Development in Post-Military Nigeria (2004); “Electoral Annulment and Violence: Conflict of Military and Civil Societies in Nigeria” (1998) and “The 1993 Presidential Election and Nation Building in Nigeria” (1995).
Prior to his appointment as a National Electoral Commissioner of INEC, Prof. Ajayi has participated in Election Administration and Research in Nigeria and as well as at the ECOWAS level. In Nigeria, he served as the State Coordinator of the “Study of the June 21, 2014 Governorship Election in Ekiti State”. A research project sponsored by The Electoral Institute of INEC, Abuja, April, 2014-2016. At the regional level, he had served as a Resource Person to ECOWAS on “Political Parties and Internal Party Democracy in ECOWAS Member-States”.
In the course of his academic career, Prof. Ajayi has visited numerous countries some of which include; Canada, Britain, Spain, Portugal, South Africa, South Korea, Ghana, Senegal and Ethiopia.
Currently, Prof. Kunle Ajayi is the National Commissioner of INEC supervising Ogun, Ondo and Osun States. He is also the Chairman of The Outreach and Partnership Committee of INEC.
Prof. Ajayi is happily married with successful and responsible children and promising grandchildren.