Key highlights
- Senator Ademola Adeleke is a Nigerian politician and currently the Governor of Osun State.
- He studied in the United States where he also started his corporate career before returning to Nigeria to work for Guinness Nigeria plc and later Pacific Holdings Limited.
- Adeleke entered politics gradually, first serving as a senator before running for governor of Osun State in 2018 and winning in 2022.
Senator Ademola Adeleke is one political figure whose reputation precedes him across the country. He was nicknamed the ‘Dancing Senator’ because of his love for social engagements and the numerous viral clips of him dancing.
Just recently, the Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja upheld his victory as the winner of the Osun State governorship election, and it has given him even more reasons to dance.
The prominence of the Adeleke family goes beyond their political ties. The family has also produced top entertainers like David Adeleke a.k.a Davido, who happens to be a nephew to the dancing senator. Among the Senator’s children, you also find Adesina Adeleke a.k.a Shina Rambo and Adebayo Adeleke a.k.a B-Red.
Governor Ademola Adeleke appears to be the melting point between both sides as he is as much an entertainer as he is a politician.
Ademola Adeleke’s childhood and education
A member of the Adeleke Family in Ede, Osun State, Ademola Adeleke Jackson Nurudeen was born on May 13, 1960, in Enugu to Raji Adedeji Adeleke and Nnenna Esther-Adeleke. He attended the Methodist Primary School, Surulere, Lagos State, before relocating to the Old Oyo State to finish his primary education at Nawarudeen Primary School, Ikire.
For his secondary education, he attended the Seventh Day Adventist Secondary School, Ede, and Ede Muslim Grammar School, Ede. After his secondary education, he relocated to the United States of America for further studies.
He studied criminal justice and political science at Jacksonville State University, Alabama, the United States. And much later in 2021, went back to Atlanta Metropolitan state college, United States to bag a degree in Criminal Justice.
Focus on his corporate career
Ademola Adeleke started his career in Atlanta when he worked for Quicksilver Courier Company in Atlanta, Georgia, USA as a service contractor from 1985 to 1989.
He also worked in Origin International LLC, a flavour and fragrance manufacturing company in Atlanta, Georgia, USA as the Vice president from 1990 to 1994.
When he returned to Nigeria, he worked as the executive director for Guinness Nigeria plc from 1992 to 1999, alongside other directors such as General Theophilus Danjuma.
In 2001, he assumed another position as the group executive director at his brother’s company, Pacific Holdings Limited, and occupied this position till 2016.
Entry into politics
Adeleke’s entry into politics was quite gradual. His elder brother, the late Adetunji Adeleke, was the first elected governor of the state, serving for 20 months between January 1992 and November 1993 when General Sani Abacha cut short the Nigerian Third Republic.
Ademola had played active roles in politics with his elder brother Isiaka from the year 2001. This was until 2017 when he emerged as Senator representing Osun West in a by-election after the controversial death of his brother, Senator Isiaka Adeleke. While official reports said he died of a heart attack, unconfirmed rumours were suggesting that his death might not have been natural.
After two years in the red chambers, he contested for the governorship of Osun State on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He emerged winner of the Osun State governorship election on 22nd September 2018, but the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) declared it inconclusive. The state conducted a rerun on the 27th of September 2018 and eventually, Gboyega Oyetola was declared the winner.
Adeleke contested again and was declared winner of the July 16 2022 governorship election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), after polling 403,371 votes and winning in 17 local government areas, to defeat the sitting Governor Adegboyega Oyetola who polled 375, 027 votes.
He was sworn in in November 2022 and with his private sector experience, observers are keen to see how he will turn around the economy of the state he has contested twice to govern. Key among his campaign promises is the prioritisation of public workers’ welfare, salaries, gratuities and pensions; boosting the state’s economy through facilitating business loans to market women, youth and artisans; and driving a homegrown infrastructure policy.
Others are a people-focused social policy through skill-based education; affordable health care, state security and social security support among others.
Oyetola contested the result of the election at the tribunal and the Election tribunal ruled in his favour, and sacked Adeleke from office, saying that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate did not score the majority of lawful votes during the July 16 governorship polls.
Adeleke appealed the ruling, and just two weeks ago, The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja set aside the decision of the Osun State Governorship Tribunal and upheld the election of Senator Ademola Adeleke as the governor of the state.
Enmeshed in scandal
Senator Adeleke’s political journey has not been without its fair share of scandals. Adeleke was accused and charged to the Osogbo High Court for forging his secondary school testimonial and WAEC result to cancel his governorship candidacy.
The testimonial Adeleke submitted to INEC dated 20 July 1988, as its Heading Ede Muslim Grammar School, Osun State, and the complainant argued that as of that year, Osun state had not been created out of the old Oyo State. Another testimonial with the Heading Ede Muslim High School dated 2018, indicates that the principal which signed the 1988 testimonial also signed the 2018 testimonial.
Adeleke’s lawyer in his defence pointed out that his secondary school had not come out to deny his testimonial asking the court to dismiss the Case. The court dismissed the suit stating that the plaintiff could not prove Adeleke’s forgery.