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Senator Ademola Adeleke dances with as much zeal as Michael Jackson, I guess that explains Jackson as one of his names. His nephew, Davido is also a big name in music so we are going to see dance parties in Osun for a long while.

Beyond the music, there is more to the election of Adeleke as next governor of Osun State.

It shows that whatever will be, will be. You can also not rule out the power of the people in elections and more importantly, a new dawn has emerged where candidates, not parties win election.

The passage of Senator Isiaka Adeleke on April 23, 2017 was all it took to bring out his brother, Ademola. The senior Adeleke was the first civilian governor of Osun State. Many dismissed Ademola as  small to step into his elder brother’s big shoes.

After weeping over his siblings death, Ademola began to dance. Their mother was a devout Christian and I am sure the dancer was taught a passage from the Holy Book which harps on weeping in the night that will break into joy in the morning.

They called him a dancer. He danced to the Senate. The same dancer was almost moving from Distinguished to Excellency when hurdles appeared. His nearly could not kill the Osun Government House bird. Adeleke did not run away. The result is what we are seeing today.

The Adelekes hail from Ede. When the eldest died, the people asked the youngest to stand and be counted. Ademola Adeleke did not need to lobby anyone to be picked. The feeling was that death could not stop the family from playing politics.

There were stories flying around that Ademola was not as experienced as the his brother. He was dragged to court over the status of his certificates, from secondary school to the university. For someone as energetic and Michael Jackson, critics said he only danced at Jackson University in the United States and forgot to graduate.

Osun people saw it all as politics. To them even if Adeleke was as dull as his opponents tried to paint him, it was not going to change anything. After INEC failed Adeleke technically in the elections that ushered in Chief Gboyega Oyetola,  the former did not give up.

While some kept reminding everyone of Adeleke’s inadequacies, the man went ahead to restrategise. Many where shocked when he appeared again to run for the position of governor. The hurdles did not disappear but it ended in victory.

Credit must go to Chief Deji Adeleke, the billionaire father of Davido and immediate elder brother of the governor -elect. In some other families, the well loaded chief would have come out to contest, instead of his younger brother.

Davido’s dad must have bankrolled the campaigns. He did not belittle his brother. He was not overbearing in any way. That is one big lesson. Seniority and wealth should not be used to oppress other members of your immediate family.

Davido followed his uncle’s campaign like the little boy he is, before the erstwhile dancing senator. This is a man whose music is respected globally. The humility was infectious. I am sure the musician also put in millions of cash in the struggle.

The big task ahead is governance. I know Senator Adeleke will go for the best, to give Osun the best. His eyes will not be on the treasury, this is certain. All eyes are on him to do a good job while the dancing continues. When the people are happy even Angels will join the party.

Give it to the Adeleke family. Their patriarch, Chief Raji Ayoola Adeleke was a senator in the Second Republic. He belonged to Chief Obafemi Awolowo’s Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) and was one of the 95 senators in Lagos.

Chief Adeleke was one of the 28 UPN  senators and among the five representing the old Oyo State. The others were Dr. Christopher Ilori,  Ademola Adegoke, Olalere Adesina and Dr. Christopher Adeoye.

So far, the family has produced three senators and two governors ( as from November 2022). Here you have a senator father producing two children as senators. Those two children will also be the first  brothers to become governors under a democratic environment.

Chief Adeleke’s Second Republic contemporaries, Olusola Saraki and Joseph Tarka also had children who became senators, Bukola, Gbemi and Simeon. Bukola became governor later but Gbemi failed in her bid. That keeps the Adeleke record intact.

Dr. Emeka Omeruah and Col. Paul Omeruo became the first brothers from the same womb to be appointed governors. That was under military dictatorship. Brigadier David Bamigboye and his brother Theophilus were also military governors.

The Adelekes will continue to give glory to God. Their mother, Chief Nnenna Esther Adeleke, hailed from Akwete in the Ukwa area of Abia State. She was in church most of her life although her husband was a muslim. That is religious tolerance.

She named the governor- elect, Ifeanyichukwu( nothing is beyond God). It is little surprise that from a nearly- governor in 2018, Senator Adeleke will enter the Government House in 2022. Davido’s son  from Chioma is named Ifeanyi after uncle Ademola. The man has Ngozi( blessing) at home too.

There must be something about the name Ifeanyi. All three Geo- Political Zones in the South will have governors who bear Ifeanyi. In the South- South, there is Ifeanyi Okowa. In the South -East, we have Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi and now in the South – West, Ifeanyi Adeleke.