Di Adeleke dynasty: How one family become powerful force for Osun politics

Chief Raji Adeleke family remain one of di most successful and powerful political and entertainment families for modern Nigerian history.

Di family political journey go back to many decades, from legislative positions for di Second Republic to executive leadership for state level.

Di transfer of political power inside di Adeleke family no happun through direct handover from di papa.

Instead, dem inherit established grassroots political structure, financial support and respected family name.

Di family political influence bin start wit di patriarch, Chief Raji Ayoola Adeleke - wey be important figure for Nigeria Second Republic, wen e serve as senator between 1979 and 1983.

Im time for office establish di family presence for national politics and open way for im children to follow.

Di Adeleke family journey dey describe as a classic example of political dynasty, wit members of di family producing two govnors and three senators.

Dia ability to remain politically relevant across different democratic periods from di Second Republic to today don make dem one important part of Osun State political history.

How dia political dominance start?

Di Adeleke family political journey fit divide into three stages: Raji Adeleke senatorial career during di Second Republic, Isiaka Adeleke governorship and Senate career, and Ademola Adeleke rise to governorship for di current democratic era.

Late Chief Raji Ayoola Adeleke

Late Chief Raji Ayoola Adeleke, wey dem born on 27 December 1923, na di first politician di Adeleke family produce.

E be labour activist and senator during di Second Republic, wia e represent Osun State Senatorial District 11, wey cover six local govment areas Ede, Osogbo, Irepodun, Ifelodun, Odo Otin and Ila Orangun. E attend St Peter's Primary School for Ede between 1935 and 1938 and later attend Ibadan Grammar School, wia e complete im secondary education for 1943.

For 1947, e obtain registered nursing certificate from Medical Department Nursing School. E bicom one of di early members of di pioneer union of Nigerian nurses for 1948.

Raji be vice-president of United Labour Congress of Nigeria, Director of Organisation Federal Labour Advisory Council and Chairman of Nigerian Red Cross, Ede, Osun Branch.

For 1976, dem give am di title of Balogun of Ede under di Unity Party of Nigeria, UPN.

E win election as senator for di 1979 Nigerian parliamentary election and represent Osun State Senatorial District.

E marry twice. Im second wife, Mrs Nnena Esther Adeleke, come from Old Enugu.

E get five children, include Senator Isiaka Adeleke and Ademola Adeleke.

Wen e die for December 1983, e leave behind one well-organised and loyal grassroots political structure wey see di Adeleke name wit respect.

Late Senator Isiaka Adeleke

Late Isiaka Adetunji Adeleke, wey live from 15 January 1955 to 23 April 2017, be two-time Nigerian senator. E represent di Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, for Osun State from 2007 to 2011 and later win again under di All Progressives Congress, APC, for 2015.

E first bicom member of di Nigerian Senate for 2007. E contest for re-election for April 2011 under PDP but come second wit 77,090 votes.

Isiaka Adeleke enter mainstream politics for early 1990s, shortly afta dem create Osun State from old Oyo State for August 1991.

Im political career cover di transition from military rule to democracy and several political parties. Pipo especially remember am as di first civilian govnor of Osun State and later two-term senator wey represent Osun West.

Isiaka Adeleke enta politics for 1991 as an outsider, fresh from di United States, by taking advantage of di creation of Osun State, di military ban on older politicians, and di family's wealth and strong local goodwill.

E contest di Osun State govnorship election under di Social Democratic Party, SDP, shortly afta e return from di United States.

E win di election convincingly despite opposition from some established political godfathers for di state.

Afta di military takeover for November 1993, Adeleke's first major political office come to end.

Following di collapse of di Third Republic, he bicom associated wit Afenifere, di Yoruba socio-cultural and political organisation wey be important opposition force for military rule.

E later leave Afenifere and join Democratic Party of Nigeria, DPN, one political party associated with di Abacha-era political transition programme.

Wen Nigeria return to democratic rule for 1999, Adeleke return to electoral politics.

For di 2007 general election, e contest for Osun West Senatorial District seat under PDP and win.

E serve for Senate from 2007 to 2011. During im first Senate term, e serve for committees wey include Upstream Petroleum Resources, Integration and Cooperation, Housing and Air Force. E also chair Senate Committee on INEC for 2009.

Adeleke contest for anoda Senate term during di 2011 election under PDP.

Dis time, e lose to Mudasiru Oyetunde Hussein of Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN. Reports say Adeleke get 77,090 votes while Hussein get 121,971.

Dis be significant setback bicos Osun West previously dey considered one of im political strongholds.

Adeleke later return to di progressive political camp. For 2014, e join di newly formed All Progressives Congress, APC. Osun State Govment describe di move as im return to di "progressives fold", one tradition associated wit im papa, Senator Ayoola Adeleke, wey be ally of Chief Obafemi Awolowo.

For di 2015 general election, Adeleke contest Osun West Senate seat under APC and win, return to di Senate for di second time.

Isiaka Adeleke die on 23 April 2017 at di age of 62 while e dey serve as senator representing Osun West.

Im death create vacancy for di Osun West Senate seat. Im younger broda, Ademola Adeleke, later contest di 2017 by-election under PDP and win, beginning im own major political career.

Govnor Ademola Adeleke

Ademola Adeleke, wey dem born on 13 May 1960, come from di influential Adeleke family of Ede and na di current govnor of Osun State. Im papa, Senator Raji Ayoola Adeleke, be Second Republic senator, while im elder broda, Senator Isiaka Adeleke, bicome di first civilian govnor of Osun State.

Although Adeleke say im involvement for politics start much earlier, e only bicom major public political figure afta di death of im broda Isiaka for April 2017.

Afta Isiaka Adeleke die while serving as senator representing Osun West, Ademola Adeleke contest di vacant seat.

Im contest under PDP and win di Osun West senatorial by-election for July 2017.

Dis victory be im first major elected political office and immediately establish am as political force for Osun. E serve for Senate from 2017 to 2019.

Interestingly, Adeleke previously dey associated wit APC, but move to PDP for 2017 bifor contesting di senatorial election.

Afta only about one year for Senate, Adeleke turn im attention to di Osun govnorship.

E win di PDP govnorship primary for July 2018, defeating businessman Akin Ogunbiyi by seven votes.

Di September 2018 election bicome one of di most controversial elections for Osun's recent political history.

Adeleke initially get di highest number of votes for di main election, but Inec declare di election inconclusive and order supplementary election.

Afta di rerun, dem declare APC candidate Gboyega Oyetola winner.

Adeleke challenge di result for court.

One major twist happun for March 2019.

Di Osun State Govnorship Election Tribunal declare Adeleke di winner of di 2018 election and cancel di supplementary election.

But di decision no stand.

On 5 July 2019, di Supreme Court uphold Gboyega Oyetola's victory, bringing Adeleke's first attempt to bicom govnor to an end.

For 2022, Adeleke return to Osun politics with anoda attempt to bicom govnor.

PDP nominate am as dia candidate for di 16 July 2022 govnorship election.

Dis time, e face di same person wey defeat am four years earlier di incumbent Govnor Gboyega Oyetola of APC.

Di election produce clear victory for Adeleke.

Recently again, Ademola Adeleke don dey declared winner of di 2026 Osun State Govnorship Election, wia e contest under Accord Party and defeat Mr Bola Oyebamiji of APC. Dis victory mean say e go serve anoda term as Osun State govnor.

Di Adeleke family ever lose election?

Di Adeleke family don lose elections, despite say dem bin one of di strongest political families for Osun State.

One of di clearest electoral defeats wey di Adeleke family suffer happun for 2011.

Isiaka Adeleke, wey don already serve as Osun State's first civilian govnor and later win Osun West Senate seat for 2007, contest for re-election for 2011 under PDP.

E lose to Mudasiru Oyetunde Hussein of Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN.

Di biggest electoral defeat for di family recent history happun for 2018.

Afta winning Osun West Senate seat for 2017 by-election, Ademola Adeleke contest for Osun State govnor for 2018 under PDP.

Di election on 22 September 2018 bin veri close.

Di initial result be:

Ademola Adeleke - 254,698 votes

Gboyega Oyetola, APC - 254,345 votes

Adeleke dey ahead by 353 votes.

But Inec declare di election inconclusive and conduct supplementary election on 27 September. Afta di rerun, Oyetola bin declare winner wit:

Gboyega Oyetola - 255,505 votes

Ademola Adeleke - 255,023 votes

Di final difference na only 482 votes.

Challenges wey di Adeleke family don face

One major challenge na say di family no always fit turn dia popularity into election victories.

Isiaka lose di 2011 Senate election.

Ademola lose di 2018 govnorship election.

Dis defeat show say even politically influential family fit face strong challenge from rival political structures.

Di 2018 defeat especially painful bicos Adeleke actually lead Oyetola for di first round but lose afta di supplementary election.

Di Adeleke family don face powerful opponents for Osun politics.

One important example na di political structure linked to di Alliance for Democracy, ACN and APC tradition for di state.

For di 2010s, APC get strong political structure for Osun, first under Govnor Rauf Aregbesola and later under Gboyega Oyetola.

Ademola Adeleke bin get challenge for political wahala when e contest govnorship for 2018 and again for 2022.

Im 2022 victory bicom big sake of say e defeat Oyetola, di same politician wey beat am four years back.

Anoda wahala na di family relationship wit political parties.

Di Adeleke brodas no remain inside one political party throughout dia political careers.

Isiaka, for example, dey associated wit PDP befor e move to APC.

Ademola also dey associated wit APC bifor e join PDP shortly before di 2017 Osun West senatorial by-election.

Tori for dat time link im move to tensions around di political situation afta Isiaka's death and di struggle over di APC ticket.

Dis show one of di Adeleke political journey: party structures sometimes dey help dia political rise, but dem also dey bicom source of wahala.

Isiaka death on 23 April 2017 na anoda major turning point.

E still dey serve as senator for Osun West wen e die.

Im death create political vacuum for di Adeleke family.

Ademola den enter di race to replace am for Senate.

But even dis succession no straightforward. Ademola bin leave APC and contest under PDP, e later defeat APC candidate Mudasiru Hussein for di by-election.