Adeleke: How a Party-Going Former Lawmaker Danced his way to Osun Govt House
By Abdulsalam Mahmud,
Though, he was never given even a slim chance by political pundits, Sen. Nurudeen Jackson Ademola Adeleke, has just conquered, and in a manner that is so overwhelming, convincing and breathtaking.
Amid all odds, Ademola Adeleke, by defeating incumbent Governor Gboyega Oyetola in yesterday’s Osun gubernatorial election, won a battle that is unarguably his fiercest politically, albeit in the interim.
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, early Sunday, declared Sen. Adeleke, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, as the winner of the State governorship election.
Returning Officer for the election and Vice Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, announced that Adeleke got a total of 403,371 votes beating the incumbent, Adegboyega Oyetola of the All Progressives Congress, APC, who got 375,027 votes in a keenly contested race.
According to the total votes recorded by the electoral umpire, the PDP won 17 of the 30 Local Government Areas of the state, while the APC won the remaining 13.
The PDP won in Ede North, Ede South, Ifelodun, Boluwaduro, Egbedore, Odo Otin, Osogbo, Ila, Atakumosa West, Olorunda, Ilesa West, Obokun, Oriade, Orolu, Ife North, Irepodun, and Ejigbo LGAs.
The APC, on the other hand, won in Boripe, Ilesa East, Ayedire, Ifedayo, Ife Central, Ayedaade, Iwo, Olaoluwa, Isokan, Atakumosa East, Ife South, Ife Central, and Ife East LGAs.
Although many believed the Osun governorship election was a two-horse race between Gov. Oyetola and Sen. Adeleke, no fewer than 15 political parties partook in the election.
The election was held across 3,763 units in the 30 LGAs of the state and witnessed a huge voter turnout and was largely peaceful.
The poll was, however, characterised by massive vote-buying, which drew the condemnation of some candidates and civil society organisations.
Sen. Adeleke, it would be recalled lost the 2018 guber poll controversially to Oyetola. Derisively called the ‘Dancing Senator’, it is apt to assert that the victory of Ademola Adeleke, can be attributed to, among many factors, largely to the formidable Adeleke political dynasty established and well-nurtured by his late elder brother, Sen. Isiaka Adeleke.
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Not long after the demise of the patriarch of the dynasty in 2017, Sen. Ademola Adeleke’s political trajectory was set in rapid motion. It was however, harangued and assaulted from every corner by unyielding opposition forces.
Unjustly and ‘wickedly’ denied the opportunity by the then ruling APC government of Rauf Aregbesola, in Osun, to succeed his sibling, who was until his death, a Senator, the Osun Governor-Elect, was joyfully received and welcomed into the PDP.
Riding on the popularity, goodwill and name of his departed brother, Ademola Adeleke, (then) as the candidate of PDP, triumphed at the Senatorial bye-election conducted same 2017 for Osun West Senatorial District.
And barely two years later, in a keenly-contested guber poll, the ‘Dancing Senator’ gave the then ruling party and its candidate, Oyetola, a run for their money. He lost narrowly, after a supplementary election, in a circumstances that was questionable.
Many are of the view that INEC perfected its strategy of declaring governorship elections ‘inconclusive’ in the country, to favour APC in either the re-run or supplementary exercise, with the 2018 episode in ‘The State of the Living Spring’.
Before upsetting the apple cart yesterday, Sen. Adeleke, credit must given to him, successfully went back to restrategize after the painful ‘electoral misfortune’ of 2018, for another epic outing.
Knowing that four years is just like bating an eyelid, and that his detractors will stop at nothing to recuscitate and mischievously promote the vile propaganda of him boasting only a primary school certificate, the ‘Dancing Senator’ enrolled for a degree programme in a United States university, which he completed last year.
He would then wade off internal oppositions to his guber ambition by defeating other high-profile aspirants in a shadow poll to again re-emerge as the PDP governorship candidate ahead of the Osun guber, held on Saturday.
Sen. Ademola Adeleke’s victory is one that surely portends good omen for the main opposition, as the 2023 general elections inch forward. That is if members of the PDP, especially those aggrieved, decide to close their ranks for the party’s unity, harmony and cohesion.
But particularly for the Dancing Senator, he already has his work cut out for him.
He will soon realize that he has only a little time to savour his ‘unexpected’ but truly anticipated political triumph, before hitting the ground running effectively after taking over from outgoing Governor Oyetola, in the next few months.