Biography
Ademola Nurudeen Jackson Adeleke ( born 13 May 1960) is a Nigerian politician and businessman, current Executive Governor of Osun State since 2022. He was the senator that represented the Osun-west senatorial district from 2017 to 2019
He is from the Adeleke family of Ede in Osun State. He contested in the 2022 Osun State gubernatorial election under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party and defeated incumbent governor, Adegboyega Isiaka Oyetola of the APC who defeated him in the 2018 Osun State gubernatorial election rerun.
He served as an executive director of Guinness Nigeria Plc from 1992–1999, where his co-directors included General Theophilus Danjuma;he was the group executive director at his brother’s company, Pacific Holdings Limited from 2001 to 2016. Prior to joining Pacific Holdings Limited, Ademola had worked with Quicksilver Courier Company in Atlanta, Georgia, US, as a service contractor in 1985–1989. He progressed to Origin International LLC, Atlanta, Georgia, US, a flavours and fragrance manufacturing company as vice president from 1990 to 1994.
Adeleke is a community member and 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, emerging as the winner under the People’s Democratic Party.
Ademola was a member under the All Progressives Congress until he decamped to the People’s Democratic Party in April 2017. On 23 July 2018, Adeleke emerged as the governorship candidate of PDP in Osun State after defeating Akin Ogunbiyi by seven votes
Education
Methodist Primary School, Surulere
Nawarudeen Primary School, Ikire
Seventh Day Adventist Secondary School, Ede
Ede Muslim Grammar School, Ede
Jacksonville State University, Alabama.
Atlanta Metropolitan State College, USA
Professional Skills
Crisis Management
90
%
Public Speaking
70
%
Problem Solving
85
%
Governorship race
Adeleke ran for Osun state governorship election under 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 on 27 September 2018. The candidate of the APC Oyetola was declared winner after the run-off. Adeleke protested the result describing the election as a “coup”.
On 22 March 2019 the tribunal sitting in Abuja declared Adeleke the winner of the election.
The Supreme Court later affirmed Gboyega Oyetola as the authentic winner of the 2018 Osun State governorship election on Friday, 5 July 2019
In 2022, Adeleke contested in the gubernatorial election of 16 July under the PDP against incumbent governor Gboyega Oyetola. Adeleke defeated Gboyega Oyetola with 402,979 votes to 375,077 votes. Adeleke won in 17 local government areas, including Olorunda, Ede South, Orolu, Osogbo, Odo Otin, Ifelodun, Boluwaduro, Atakumosa, and Ila.