Senator Ademola Nurudeen Adeleke, a governorship candidate of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) in the September 2018 governorship election is on the path of breaking a political jinx that has never been broken.
His sudden popularity in Osun political field could be attributed to the demise of his brother late Senator Isiaka Adetunji Adeleke, who died on April 23, 2017, in one of the popular hospitals in Osogbo. His death has been described as controversial.
Created on August 27, 1991, from part of the old Oyo State by the military administration of General Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida, Osun is about being the first state in south-west region of the country to produce two governors from the same family.
Ever since the state came into existence, no single family born of the same father and mother has produced two governors.
But Ademola Adeleke is set on that path as his doggedness ever since he took a political dive into the dam of Osun politics continued to be a huge shock to his rivals.
How Ademola Adeleke came into Osun politics
Some described Ademola Adeleke as a political learner who had been following his late brother in the 90s when Osun was created by the government of Babangida, who was at the time operating a diarchy.
During the Nigerian third republic, his brother Isiaka Adeleke ran for governor of the newly created Osun State under the Social Democratic Party (SDP), the dominant party in the state at the time.
He became the first executive governor of Osun in 1992. The republic was later truncated.
Death of Isiaka Adeleke
Isiaka Adetunji Adeleke was a political heavyweight during his lifetime in Osun. Before 2007 general elections, he contested under the People’s Democratic Party and won the Osun West Senatorial District election and was at Nigeria’s Upper Legislative Chamber from 2007 to 2011.
When it was obvious that he was going to contest for governorship election under PDP, the pressure was on him, making him join forces with the APC-led government.
Best to compensate Isiaka?
He was given the APC ticket in the election that followed, he was at the National Assembly as an APC senator until his unfortunate death on April 23, 2017.
Before his death, it was rumoured that he had an unshaken ambition of contesting the September 2018 governorship election in Osun.
It was learnt that he had great chances of becoming the governor of the state under any political party by beating anyone in any party, unfortunately, that dream would not come to pass.
After the death of Isiaka Adeleke
When Isiakia Adeleke died, it was time for a by-election, the two major political parties in the state: PDP and APC were ready to put their popularity into a test.
While PDP watched with keen interest on who APC would present as its candidate, the ruling party thought it was time to change the statue quo. That was when Ademola Adeleke came forward hoping to step into the shoes of his late brother who was an APC senator until his death.
But APC who taught couldn’t continue in the Adeleke’s lineage under a very powerful influence of former state governor, Rauf Aregbesola, was said to have anointed the former senator from the senatorial district Mudasiru Oyetunde Hussein.
And the APC ticket went to Senator Hussein. Aggrieved, unhappy over the failure of APC to compensate the Adeleke’s family, Ademola went to the PDP, a party that was already waiting to embrace him.
Ademola Adeleke got the ticket of PDP with less stress and at the polls, Ademola Adeleke humiliated Aregbesola’s candidate.
The beginning of his political sojourn
Less than five months he got to the Upper Legislative Chamber, his posters began flooding Osogbo, the state capital.
He was already known as a good dancer and was referred to as a dancing senator. Unperturbed Ademola Adeleke frankly told his supporters in PDP that he would be contesting for the 2018 governorship election in the state.
One of the biggest PDP members at the time Senator Iyiola Omisore was forced to pursue his ambition in another party, SDP. Coincidentally, Ademola’s brother Isiaka won under SDP in 1992 elections.
Even though there were allegations of employing the Adeleke’s wealth to intimidate PDP members, it was obvious that he would represent the party at the September election.
Forces against him:
As a political culture in Nigeria, where dirty details of an aspirant are brought forth during electioneering campaigns, Adeleke was accused and charged to the Osogbo high court for forging his secondary school testimonial and WAEC result.
The plan of those who brought the case was to cancel his governorship candidacy.
According to the report, the e testimonial Adeleke submitted to INEC dated July 20, 1988, as its Heading Ede Muslim Grammar School, Osun State, 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 of the school.
Adeleke’s lawyer in his defence claims his secondary school hasn’t come out to denial his testimonial asking the court to dismiss the Case.
Battle at the polls
During the September 2018 governorship election in the state, he gave the ruling APC a good fight but it ended in a political drama which made INEC declare it inconclusive and said it would conduct a supplementary election is some affected local government areas in the state.
In the end, Gboyega Oyetola of APC was declared the winner of the election.
Battle at the tribunal
Rugged, focused and politically charged Ademola Adeleke headed to the Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal. The tribunal was moved from Osogbo to Abuja and on March 22, 2019, the tribunal sitting in Abuja declared Ademola Adeleke as the winner of the election
It held that the All Progressives Congress and its candidate, Gboyega Oyetola, were not validly returned.
Oyetola appeled the ruling.
While the appeal of Oyetola was waiting at the Appeal Court, a sudden and shocking judgement came up, saying Ademola Adeleke was not qualified to contest as the governor of a state due to his O’level certificate.
Ademola appealed certificate ruling
The Ede-born PDP senator headed to Appeal Court and the court in its sitting in Akure, Ondo State capital said Adeleke was eligible to contest for elections.
The judgement followed an earlier judgement of a High Court in Bwari, Abuja, which declared him ineligible to contest the election. The issue bordered on the controversy over Mr Adeleke’s secondary school certificate submitted to INEC for the election.
Will Adeleke win against Oyetola at the Appeal?
Oyetola’s appeal is still at the appeal court. If the Appeal Court affirmed the ruling of the election petition tribunal, there’s possibility Oyetola heads to the Supreme Court, if the apex court affirmed earlier rulings, it means Senator Ademola Adekele will become the executive governor of Osun State, against all odds.
Making history
If that happens, it means the Adeleke’s family will be the first to produce two governors from the same family, and possibly in the entire South-West geopolitical zone.
Ademola Adeleke is on the path of history, whether he’s going to dance or not.
As it happens, we’ll keep you updated
