Political history of the Adelekes of Ede in Osun
The Adelekes of Ede in Osun State have had a long history in politics and have so far produced three (3) senators and two (2) governors.
1. Late Chief Raji Ayoola Adeleke
Late Chief Raji Ayoola Adeleke (born 27 December 1923) was the first politician the Adelekes produced. He was a labour activist and a senator in the second republic, who represented Osun State Senatorial District 11, which comprises six local government areas – Ede, Osogbo, Irepodun, Ifelodun, Odo Otin, Ila Orangun.
Raji was the vice-president, United Labour Congress of Nigeria, Director of the Organisation Federal Labour Advisory Council, and Chairman of the Nigerian Red Cross, Ede, Osun Branch. In 1976, he was conferred with the title of Balogun of Ede. Under the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN). He was elected senator in the 1979 Nigerian parliamentary election and represented Osun State Senatorial District. He was married twice, his second wife, Mrs Nnena Esther Adeleke was from Old Enugu, he had five children including Senator Isiaka Adeleke and Ademola Adeleke.
2. Late Senator Isiaka Adeleke
Late Isiaka Adetunji Adeleke (15 January 1955 – 23 April 2017) was a two-time Nigerian senator who represented the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Osun State from 2007 to 2011 and was elected again under the banner of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2015. He became a member of the Nigerian Senate in 2007. He also ran for re-election in April 2011 on the PDP platform, coming second with 77,090 votes.
Before then, during the Nigerian third republic, Adeleke ran for governor of the newly created Osun State which was carved out from Oyo State. He was a member of SDP the dominant party in the state. He became the first civilian governor of Osun State in 1992.
Adetunji Adeleke, before his death on 23 April 2017, was allegedly eyeing the governorship seat again, in Osun ahead of the 2018 election in the state.
3. Ademola Adeleke
Ademola Nurudeen Jackson Adeleke, born 13 May 1960 is presently the Governor-Elect of Osun State. He was also a senator that represented the Osun-west senatorial district, just like his late elder brother, Senator Isiaka Adetunji, between 2017 and 2019.
Adeleke started his political career in 2001 alongside his late brother, who died in April 2017. He contested the Osun West 2017 by-election after the death of his brother, emerging as the winner under the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
Ademola was also a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) until he decamped to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) 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.
