Ademola Adeleke: A Governor at the heart of Osun
By Goke Awoyemi
I have had the challenge and privilege of profiling notable state actors in Osun State, leading to the discovery that Governor Ademola Nurudeen Jackson Adeleke is at the heart of the people of Osun State.
Born 66 years ago into the family of a labour activist, Late Raji Ayoola Adeleke, who was later elected into the Nigerian Senate during the Second Republic, under the tutelage of Late Sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo. His elder brother, Late Senator Isiaka Adetunji Adeleke was the first executive Governor of Osun State. This background must have propelled and prepared him for the arduous task of running a State.
But when he realized that the operational strategy inherent in All Progressive Congress is always cult-related during Primary elections, he crossed over to the People’s Democratic Party, and defeated the candidate of the ruling party in 2017 to represent Osun West in the Senate. He performed the same feat in 2018 by trouncing (APC) the incumbent Party’s gubernatorial candidate, Adegboyega Oyetola, before the electoral umpire declared the election inconclusive, ordered a re-run election, which a former commissioner for education, who served in Oyetola’s cabinet publicly described as a “sort out” exercise against Governor Adeleke at a rally heralding his cross-over to the Accord Party last June.
Adeleke’s family frequent electoral success is traceable to strong, formidable, and indivisible family support base. Added to this is the good-will built over decades, and the deep pocket of Dr. Deji Adeleke, who told the duo of Governor Ademola Adeleke and Deputy Governor Kola Adewusi after the 2022 victory to go out there, impress Osun people with high index performing assessment, warning them against bringing people that will do business with tax payers money into government and if “you mess up, I will be the first person to address a World Press Conference denouncing you because you have no God-father to make returns to”. Even his security vote is being channeled towards developmental effort.
While Governor Adeleke’s family is always racking brain on how to make every minute enjoyable after a day’s hard work, the opposition is always busying plotting evil. In April, Governor Adeleke’s son, a singer, a.k.a. B-Red, staged a trumpet-blaring concert at Technical College, Osogbo that attracted youths. Lekan Ijiwoye, the fun-loving Chairman, Ife Ooye LCDA had visited me earlier in the evening on his way to the concert venue, he even impressed me that h was going to hang-out with the organizers before the event kicks off. I told him that I will join them later, but I never did, because I am no longer a youth.
Few days after the successful outing, and sensing that the concert was a heart-wining event, capable of boosting Governor Adeleke’s political machinery, B-Red’s life was at stake. When he publicly alleged a threat to his life, led by a notorious opposition thug, who trailed him from Alekuwodo market toward Government House, Oke-fia, Osogbo, the State Police Command reacted speaking from two sides of the mouth. While the Command promised to investigate, they also at the same time made statement semantically insinuating and labeling B-Red as alarmist.
The renowned singer was vindicated when members of Accord Party suddenly became targets, and were shot dead in Ikire, Esa-Oke, Ilobu and Aisu, while Hon. Asimiyu Ajibola, Accord Party Chairman, Osogbo LGA was chased, repeatedly shot, and rushed to Uniosun Teaching Hospital. If governance is about service delivery, why do you have to kill people you intend to govern and uplift from the shackles of poverty? I have always been an advocate of part-time legislation in Nigeria, because of the humongous salary and remuneration accruable to our legislators.
Nigeria First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, during her tenure in the Senate, as an insider was quoted to have said that “a lot of money go into the Senate”. The statement was both revealing and inspiring. But upon assumption of office alongside the husband, we have not seen measures put in place to reduce the spoils of office. If this is done, it will not only make the office less attractive, but will improve Nigeria’s deteriorating insecurity by reducing this blood-letting orgy characterizing and labeling post colonial election unsafe in Nigeria.
It is also important to note that all the shenanigans prompted by the controversial court judgment, ambushed by the opposition, which resulted into February 17th 2025 mayhem in Osun State would have been met by “were l’anfi nwo were”, translated to mean, we cure madness with madness if Ex-Governor Rauf Aregbesola, whom I have known since his days as Lagos State Works Commissioner, or Senator Iyiola Omisore, whom I have also known for about half a-century, were to be in the saddle in Osun.
Though cheated by height, Omisore is a fire-brand in every sense of the word. In 1996 when he first unveiled his Gubernatorial ambition, and I wanted to represent Ife East in the House of Assembly, he would tell who cares to listen at stakeholders meetings that “ti nkan ba le koko ko, mi o ni sa”, translated to mean, if the situation becomes very tough, and difficult, I wont run away.
A dyed-in-the wool person, whose beliefs and actions remains unshakable no matter how much influence exerted on him. It is these characteristic traits that prompted the Osun APC elders’ Caucus to disqualify all the eight aspirants in other to abort Omisore’s ambition. If they are saddled with the same task tomorrow, they will still come out with same result.
During Rauf Aregbesola’s tenure, when pensioners were staging a peaceful protest over non-payment of their statutory benefit, “state boys” accosted, flogged them and they fled to their different houses, never to return to the street again.
Governor Ademola Adeleke, an entertainer per excellence, with his admirable dancing steps, which is endemic in the family, as David Adeleke (aka Davido), who has put Nigeria on a global map, massive infrastructural development which no Governor since the creation of Osun could rival, does not instill fear into the mind of his people. He preaches peace and love, and because people never believed governance could be this impactful, he has permanently pictured himself in the heart of the good people of Osun State.
Goke Awoyemi, Chief Press Secretary, Osun Deputy Governor