Ademola Adeleke facts for kids

Ademola Nurudeen Jackson Adeleke (; born 13 May 1960) is a Nigerian politician and businessman. He is currently the governor of Osun State, a state in Nigeria. He became governor in 2022.

Before becoming governor, he served as a senator for the Osun-West area from 2017 to 2019. He ran for governor in the 2022 Osun State gubernatorial election with the Peoples Democratic Party. He won against the previous governor, Gboyega Oyetola, who was from the All Progressives Congress.

Education and Learning

Ademola Adeleke started his primary school at Methodist Primary School in Surulere, Lagos State. He then moved to Old Oyo State and attended Nawarudeen Primary School in Ikire.

He went to The Seventh Day Adventist Secondary School in Ede and later Ede Muslim Grammar School, where he finished his secondary education. After that, he moved to the United States to continue his studies. He attended Jacksonville State University in Alabama, where he studied criminal justice and political science. Later, he enrolled at Atlanta Metropolitan State College in the United States. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in criminal justice in 2021.

Career Journey

Business Experience

Ademola Adeleke has a background as a businessman and manager. He worked as an executive director at Guinness Nigeria Plc from 1992 to 1999. He was also a group executive director at Pacific Holdings Limited, a company owned by his brother, from 2001 to 2016. Before joining Pacific Holdings, he worked with Quicksilver Courier Company in Atlanta, Georgia, US, from 1985 to 1989. He also served as vice president at Origin International LLC, a company that makes flavors and fragrances, from 1990 to 1994.

Stepping into Politics

Ademola Adeleke is known for being involved in his community and helping others. He began his political journey in 2001 with his late brother, Isiaka Adeleke, who was also a senator. After his brother passed away in April 2017, Ademola ran in the Osun West by-election in 2017. He won the election as a member of the Peoples Democratic Party.

He was a member of the All Progressives Congress until April 2017, when he joined the Peoples Democratic Party. In July 2018, he became the Peoples Democratic Party's candidate for governor in Osun State.

Running for Governor

Ademola Adeleke ran for governor of Osun State in the election held on 22 September 2018. He competed against other candidates, including Gboyega Oyetola. The election was first declared undecided, and a second vote was held on 27 September 2018. After the second vote, Gboyega Oyetola was announced as the winner. Ademola Adeleke disagreed with the result.

In March 2019, a court in Abuja declared Ademola Adeleke the winner of that election. However, the Supreme Court later confirmed Gboyega Oyetola as the official winner of the 2018 Osun State governorship election in July 2019.

In 2022, Ademola Adeleke ran for governor again in the election on 16 July. He was once more the candidate for the Peoples Democratic Party, going against the current governor, Gboyega Oyetola. This time, Ademola Adeleke won the election with 402,979 votes, while Gboyega Oyetola received 375,077 votes. Adeleke won in 17 local government areas across the state.

Family Life

Ademola Adeleke is married to Titilola Adeleke. They have eight children, including B-Red, Adenike Adeleke, Folashade Adeleke, Bukola Adeleke, and Omolola Adeleke. He is also the uncle of the famous musician, Davido.