Senator Ademola Nurudeen Adeleke is the governor-elect of Osun State. Adeleke who lost election four years ago bounced back to unseat an incumbent governor. The governor-elect was a private businessman until a couple of years back when circumstances brought him into politics.
He represented Osun West at the Senate from 2017 to 2019.
Below are seven things to know about the PDP governorship candidate in the election.
Education
Adeleke commenced his primary education at Methodist Primary School, Surulere Lagos State; he then relocated to Old Oyo State and attended Nawarudeen Primary School, Ikire.
He progressed to The Seventh Day Adventist Secondary School, Ede in the then Old Oyo State and later moved to Ede Muslim Grammar School, where he finished his secondary school education before relocating to the United States.
High Education
Adeleke started his higher studies at Jacksonville State University, Alabama in the United States where he majored in criminal justice and with minor in political science.
He later enrolled at Atlanta Metropolitan State College in the United States, where he obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in criminal justice in 2021.
Private sector
Adeleke is a businessman and administrator; between 2001 to 2016 he was the group executive director at his brother’s company, Pacific Holdings Limited. Prior to joining Pacific Holdings Limited, Ademola had worked with Quicksilver Courier Company in Atlanta, Georgia, US, as a service contractor.
Multi-million dollar business
Adeleke established his own Company , Origin International Limited. The company was co-founded with one of his friends; and it produces of fragrance and flavour for food and beauty industry.
Of the business, he said, “The business was a major break for me. It was also a pioneering effort. We penetrated several American markets. That manufacturing venture yielded a lot of returns. You know only competent and smart people can successfully create and run business in the United States.”
Politics
As a 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 after the death of his brother and emerged the winner under the People’s Democratic Party.
In 2018, defeating Akin Ogunbiyi by seven votes in a primary election, Adeleke emerged the governorship candidate of PDP in Osun State.
Certificate forgery
Adeleke was accused and charged before an Osogbo high court for allegedly forging his secondary school testimonial and WAEC result to cancel his governorship candidacy.
The testimonial he submitted to INEC dated 20 July 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.
Governorship Race in 2018
Adeleke contested for governorship position in Osun state under the platform of the PDP against top contenders Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola of APC and Iyiola Omisore of SDP on 22 September 2018.
The election was declared inconclusive by the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) and a rerun slated in seven local government on 27 September 2018. After the supplementary election INE declared Oyetola winner. Adeleke protested the result which he described as a “coup”. (Daily Trust)
