Sometime last week, I watched a podcast where a former Minister of Police Affairs, Jelili Adesiyan a.k.a Jalo, was describing Dr Deji Adeleke as a “pure capitalist” and using other unpleasant innuendos to describe the multi-billionaire elder brother of Osun State Governor, father of the global musical icon Davido, mentor to thousands of people and helper of countless destinies.
As I watched the interview over a couple of other platforms, I realised again how political exposure especially in the internet age can make one vulnerable to insults from despicable characters who ordinarily would not worth ones attention.
The assertion by the interviewee to the effect that the Governors elder brother as a “capitalist” was the one actually in the governance or regular decision making of Osun State would ordinarily pass for an idle talk by those who truly know the person of Dr. Deji Adeleke and understand how extremely preoccupied he is with multiple billion dollars project in his chain of enterprise.
If by being interested in the success of his younger brother as Governor, Mr Adesiyan and his ilk however found an offence, then they could as well hold their breath for a time when fate would consider their own family worthy of the rare privilege of political, business and career leadership which God has given the Adelekes.
For those who may not know, the father of the Adelekes was a prominent Senator in the second republic of the Federal Government of Nigeria. Senator Raji Ayoola Adeleke, was the father of the first Civilian Governor of Osun State, Isiaka Adetunji Adeleke who also got elected a Senator begore his demise in 2017. The current Governor, Ademola Adeleke was a Senator for two years before his elction as Governor in 2022. I don’t know of any other family in Nigeria that has got such a honour in political governance and that honour cannot ordinarily be without its elements of “why” “how” and bits of envy in some quarters.
While it is therefore undeniable that the lovers and most especially the siblings of Governor Adeleke would be interested in how well he delivers on the purpose of governance and protect the enviable name they have earned over some decades, there is absolutely no element of self-service, profiteering or promotion of ungodly intersts in whatever Mr Adesiyan sees as Dr Deji Adelekes “involvement ” in the politics or governance of Osun State.
If anything, Dr Deji Adeleke as an eminent and successful son, had over the years supported Osun sate in many dimensions regardless of who was Governor of the state. He had been known to offer sound financial advice and provide support to worthy causes initiated by almost all previous governors of Osun without expecting any benefits in return.
Here is a man who publicly vowed to disown his own brother and threatened to address a press conference to that effect if he ever got involved in corrupt practices or anti-people policies as Governor:
Osun guber: I’ll expose you if you derail, Davido’s father warns gov-elect
https://punchng.com/you-must-perform-billionaire-brother-tells-osun-gov-elect/
https://thestreetjournal.org/i-will-expose-my-brother-if-he-fails-as-governor-of-osun-state-deji-adeleke-promises/
How many elder brothers, mentors, godfathers etc of Political office holders in Nigeria would challenge people they help or sponsor into office on putting service above self in the assignment on their hands?
As one of the numerous beneficiaries of Dr Adelekes generous financial sponsorship in Politics ( by the way, former minister Jelili Adesiyan had also benefitted in times past), I can assert that his only expectations of anyone he helped into office is to use such positions to make the burden of the poor lighter and change the fortune of our communities for good.
If you sit on a lunch table with a Deji Adeleke, he will spend almost 90% of the time talking about why Nigeria must be better than it is now and why everyone in their capacity must work hard to re
