Ademola Nurudeen Jackson Adeleke (born 13 May 1960) is a Nigerian
politician
A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking ...
and
businessman
A businessperson, businessman, or businesswoman is an individual who has founded, owns, or holds shares in (including as an angel investor) a private-sector company. A businessperson undertakes activities (commercial or industrial) for the ...
, who has served as
governor of Osun State
This is a list of administrators and governors of Osun State.
Osun State was formed on 27 August 1991 when it was split from Oyo State.
See also
* States of Nigeria
*List of state governors of Nigeria
References
*{{cite web
, url=http://www. ...
since 2022. He was the senator that represented the Osun-west senatorial district from 2017 to 2019. He is from the
Adeleke family of
Ede in
Osun State
Osun State (; yo, Ìpínlẹ̀ Ọ̀ṣun), occasionally known as the State of Osun by the state government, is a state in southwestern Nigeria; bounded to the east by Ekiti and Ondo states, to the north by Kwara State, to the south by Og ...
. He contested in the
2022 Osun State gubernatorial election
The 2022 Osun State gubernatorial election took place on 16 July 2022, to elect the governor of Osun State. Incumbent All Progressives Congress Governor Gboyega Oyetola was eligible for re-election but lost by a 3.5% margin to former Senator Ad ...
under the platform of the
Peoples Democratic Party and defeated incumbent governor,
Adegboyega Isiaka Oyetola of the APC who defeated him in the
2018 Osun State gubernatorial election rerun.
Education
Adeleke commenced his primary education at Methodist Primary School, Surulere
Lagos State
Lagos State ( yo, Ìpínlẹ̀ Èkó) is a state in southwestern Nigeria. Of the 36 states, it is both the most populous and smallest in area. Bounded to the south by the Bight of Benin and to the west by the international border with Ben ...
then relocated to Old Oyo State and attended Nawarudeen Primary School, Ikire. He progressed to The Seventh Day Adventist Secondary School, Ede also in the then Old Oyo State and later moved to Ede Muslim Grammar School Ede, where he finished his secondary school education before relocating to the United States.
As he left Nigeria to continue his studies joining his two other elder brothers in the
United States of America
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territo ...
.
He started higher studies at
Jacksonville State University
Jacksonville State University (JSU) is a public university in Jacksonville, Alabama. Founded in 1883, Jacksonville State offers programs of study in six academic schools leading to bachelor's, master's, education specialist, and doctorate degr ...
,
Alabama
(We dare defend our rights)
, anthem = "Alabama"
, image_map = Alabama in United States.svg
, seat = Montgomery
, LargestCity = Huntsville
, LargestCounty = Baldwin County
, LargestMetro = Greater Birmingham
, area_total_km2 = 135,765 ...
in the United States where he majored in criminal justice and with minor in political science. After much controversies surrounding his educational qualification, he went back to school and got enrolled at Atlanta Metropolitan State College in the United States, where he obtained a
Bachelor of Science degree
A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years.
The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University of ...
in criminal justice in 2021.
Career
Private sector
Adeleke is a businessman and administrator; he served as an executive director of
Guinness Nigeria
Guinness Nigeria, a subsidiary of Diageo Plc of the United Kingdom, was incorporated in 1962 with the building of a brewery in Ikeja, the heart of Lagos. The brewery was the first Guinness operation outside Ireland and Great Britain. Other brew ...
Plc from 1992–1999, where his co-directors included General
Theophilus Danjuma
Theophilus Yakubu Danjuma (born 9 December 1938) is a politician and retired Nigerian army lieutenant general who played a key role in post independence military and political events in Nigeria. Danjuma amassed an enormous fortune through ship ...
; he was the group executive director at his brother's company, Pacific Holdings Limited from 2001 to 2016. Prior to joining Pacific Holdings Limited, Ademola had worked with Quicksilver Courier Company in
Atlanta, Georgia, US, as a service contractor in 1985–1989.
He progressed to Origin International LLC, Atlanta, Georgia, US, a flavours and fragrance manufacturing company as vice president from 1990 to 1994.
Politics
Adeleke is a community member and
philanthropist.
Adeleke started his political career in 2001 alongside his late brother
Senator Isiaka Adeleke who died in April 2017. He contested at the Osun west 2017
by-election
A by-election, also known as a special election in the United States and the Philippines, a bye-election in Ireland, a bypoll in India, or a Zimni election (Urdu: ضمنی انتخاب, supplementary election) in Pakistan, is an election used to f ...
after the death of his brother, emerging as the winner under the
People's Democratic Party People's Democratic Party or ''variant thereof'', could refer to:
* People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan
*People's Democratic Party (Belize)
*People's Democratic Party (Bhutan)
*People's Democratic Party (Chile)
* People's Democratic Party (Dom ...
.
Ademola was a member under the
All Progressives Congress until he decamped to the
People's Democratic Party in April 2017
On 23 July 2018, Adeleke emerged as the governorship candidate of PDP in Osun State after defeating
Akin Ogunbiyi
Akinlade Ogunbiyi is a Nigerian businessman and former political candidate. He is the chairman of Mutual Benefits Assurance PLC.
Early life
Akin Ogunbiyi was born in Ile-Ogbo, Osun State. His parents were farmers and his father served as ch ...
by seven votes.
Certificate scandal
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
Osun State (; yo, Ìpínlẹ̀ Ọ̀ṣun), occasionally known as the State of Osun by the state government, is a state in southwestern Nigeria; bounded to the east by Ekiti and Ondo states, to the north by Kwara State, to the south by Og ...
, as at that year Osun state was not in existence. Also the SSCE results indicated in the testimonial shows that the mode of examination wasn't existing in the year 1981
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,
this led to the arrest of the principal by the.
Adeleke's lawyer in his defense claims his secondary school hasn't 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. Witnesses told court that they didn't see Adeleke in the examination hall. One of the witnesses said he would have recognised him since he is a public figure.
Governorship race
Adeleke ran for Osun state governorship election under the PDP against top contenders Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola of APC and
Iyiola Omisore
Iyiola Ajani Omisore (born 15 September 1957) is a Nigerian businessman, engineer, and politician who served as Deputy Governor of Osun State from 1999 to 2003. Subsequently, he served as a member of the Nigerian Senate for Osun East from 2003 t ...
of SDP on 22 September 2018. The election was declared inconclusive by the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) and a rerun slated on 27 September 2018. The candidate of the APC Oyetola was declared winner after the run-off. Adeleke protested the result describing the election as a "coup".
On 22 March 2019 the tribunal sitting in Abuja declared Adeleke the winner of the election.
The Supreme Court later affirmed
Gboyega Oyetola
Adegboyega Isiaka Oyetola (born 29 September 1954) is a Nigerian politician who served as Governor of Osun State from 2018 to 2022. He contested for the Osun State gubernatorial seat on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Se ...
as the authentic winner of the 2018 Osun State governorship election on Friday, 5 July 2019
In 2022, Adeleke contested in the
gubernatorial election
A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
of 16 July under the PDP against incumbent governor Gboyega Oyetola. Adeleke defeated
Gboyega Oyetola
Adegboyega Isiaka Oyetola (born 29 September 1954) is a Nigerian politician who served as Governor of Osun State from 2018 to 2022. He contested for the Osun State gubernatorial seat on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Se ...
with 402,979 votes to 375,077 votes.
Adeleke won in 17 local government areas, including Olorunda,
Ede South, Orolu,
Osogbo
Osogbo (also ''Oṣogbo'', rarely ''Oshogbo'') is a city in Nigeria. It became the capital city of Osun State in 1991. Osogbo city seats the Headquarters of both Osogbo Local Government Area (situated at Oke Baale Area of the city) and Olorund ...
, Odo Otin, Ifelodun, Boluwaduro, Atakumosa, and Ila.
Personal life
Adeleke is the husband to the beautiful Mrs Titilola Adeleke and he is a father of eight including
B-Red, Ayootola, Goke, Sinarambo, Adenike, Folasade, and etc. He is also an uncle to popular musician,
Davido.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Adeleke, Ademola
Members of the Senate (Nigeria)
Yoruba politicians
21st-century Nigerian politicians
People from Osun State
Peoples Democratic Party (Nigeria) politicians
Nigerian Muslims
Living people
Nigerian political candidates
Adeleke family
1960 births