Billionaire businessman Adedeji Adeleke has said he never doubted that his younger brother, Governor Ademola Adeleke, would win a second term in the Osun governorship election, despite the strength of the opposition. His comments came after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared the governor winner of Saturday’s election, securing another four years in office.
Speaking during a victory celebration on Sunday night, Deji Adeleke said his confidence was rooted in his personal faith and prayers rather than political calculations.
“I don’t discuss with anybody. I do it in the corner of my room. I do this every day. So, I was not worried. I had no doubt in my mind that Ademola will win. Ademola will overcome,” he said.
The businessman, who is also the father of Afrobeats star Davido, said he regularly prayed and fasted privately before the election.
“I fortify myself with the power of the Almighty God every day. And the day that I fast, I’ll do it three times a day. And nobody knew. I don’t discuss with anybody,” he added.
His comments followed a closely watched election in which Adeleke, running on the platform of the Accord Party, defeated his main challenger, Bola Oyebamiji of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Adeleke wins second term with more than 511,000 votes
INEC declared Adeleke winner at the state collation centre in Osogbo on Sunday, 16 August.
The governor received 511,067 votes, while Oyebamiji secured 444,815, giving Adeleke a winning margin of 66,252 votes.
Adeleke won 19 of Osun State’s 30 local government areas, while Oyebamiji took 11. Fifteen political parties contested the election, although the race was largely fought between Accord and the APC.
The result means Adeleke will remain governor for another four-year term.
New Daily Prime reported Adeleke’s victory after INEC completed the collation of results from all 30 local government areas. The governor had earlier established a lead as polling-unit results were uploaded to INEC’s Result Viewing Portal.
The victory marks another significant chapter in Adeleke’s political career. He first became governor after defeating then-incumbent Adegboyega Oyetola in the July 2022 governorship election.
Adeleke was elected on the Peoples Democratic Party platform in 2022 but later left the party amid internal disputes and joined Accord ahead of his re-election campaign.
Accord had previously said it was prepared to welcome Adeleke as he searched for a new political platform for his second-term bid.
Deji Adeleke takes swipe at opposition
Speaking about the forces that lined up against his brother, Deji Adeleke suggested that he was not intimidated by the political strength or financial resources of the opposition.
“Let them come with all the battalions, withdraw the Army, bring all the money from the Central Bank. Nobody is above God Almighty,” he said.
His references to the Army and Central Bank were political rhetoric made during the celebration. There is no evidence in the Vanguard report that the Nigerian Army was withdrawn for partisan purposes or that Central Bank funds were provided to Adeleke’s opponents.
The distinction is important because allegations concerning the use of state institutions or public money in an election would require independent evidence.
Deji Adeleke’s remarks should therefore be understood as his own comments about the intensity of the contest rather than established findings about the conduct of the election.
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Victory comes after intense Osun contest
The Osun election attracted national attention because of its potential implications for the political balance in the South-West and preparations for Nigeria’s 2027 general election.
Adeleke faced a determined challenge from the APC, which had sought to regain control of the state after losing the governorship in 2022.
The governor’s political journey ahead of the election was also complicated by his departure from the PDP. His eventual move to Accord changed the shape of the contest and gave the smaller party control of one of the country’s most closely watched governorship races.
The Adeleke family has remained prominent throughout the campaign.
Davido publicly supported his uncle and celebrated after INEC announced the result. Deji Adeleke has also been a visible figure around the governor, although his latest comments focused largely on his private religious preparations for the election.
For Governor Adeleke, attention will now move from campaigning to the responsibilities of a second term.
His administration will face scrutiny over its economic record, infrastructure projects, public-sector welfare and management of state finances.
One issue associated with his first term was the payment of salary and pension arrears inherited from previous administrations. New Daily Prime previously examined Osun’s outstanding half-salary payments and Adeleke’s efforts to clear the liabilities.
With the election concluded and INEC having declared a winner, Adeleke now has a renewed mandate. For his elder brother, however, the result was apparently never in question.
As Deji Adeleke put it during the family’s victory celebration: “I had no doubt in my mind that Ademola will win.”
