OSUN State like other Yoruba speaking states was known to be controlled by the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) before the party lost its political value to the All Progressives Congress (APC) on the altar of political exclusiveness and toying with internal democracy.
The party had fought tooth and nail during the eight years reign of the Rauf Aregbesola led APC to rescue power but it continued to fail due to internal wrangling which depleted the ranks of PDP.
However, there came a bright light at the end of the tunnel for the party last August when against all odds, it clinched the Osun West Senatorial District seat in a bye-election to fill the vacancy left by the sudden death of Senator Adetunji Isiaka Adeleke.
Amazingly, Ademola Nurudeen Adeleke, a political greenhorn who has not held any serious political position in the past won a landslide victory against the candidate of the APC, Senator Mudashiru Hussein who has occupied the position before.
Barely a year in the Senate, the ‘State of The Living Spring’ will be going to the polls in September 2018 to choose a new governor to succeed the incumbent Governor Aregbesola and the PDP is in dire need of a candidate that can unseat the ruling APC in the state.
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Party chieftains have been tinkering with names of possible candidate from the array of aspirants hoping to pick the PDP governorship ticket and there seem to be a consensus across political lines in Osun State that the Osun West Senatorial District should produce the next governor in the spirit of fair play and zoning after Osun Central have ruled for almost 12 years and Osun East for 8 years. Osun West has since 1999 not produced a governor.
Political pundits have calculated that the party has the prospect of upstaging the APC in Osun Central while it can still slug it out on an average mark with the ruling party in Osun East which produce the incumbent governor leaving the Osun West as the beautiful bride and somehow, the decisive slot for which the parties are scrambling to grab.
If the results of the election that produced Senator Ademola Adeleke is anything to go by, then, he is one politician sought after by the parties.
He was the joker with which PDP used to bounce back into reckoning in the state and party leaders are of the opinion that he can once more spring surprise.
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Though he has not signified his intention to run, it is proven and established that he is being compelled to join the race for the ‘Abere Government House’ because of the fact that he convincingly won 9 out of 10 local governments during the last senatorial by-election despite the fact that PDP was in opposition.
His candidature expressly united all forces in PDP, hence he is today seen as the candidate who can really and overwhelmingly command the support of the people across party line.
Kingmakers in Osun PDP see in him someone that can conveniently and successfully fractionalize the APC as substantial members of APC followers understand his enormous potentials.
A chip of the old block, Senator Adeleke is well acquainted with the politics and politicking in Osun State. His involvement in politics is as old as that of his senior brother, late Senator Isiaka Adeleke when they took politics to another level in 1991, thus, he understands the anatomy and pathology of Osun politics.
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He is not a passive or docile representative the good people of Osun West as he has made meaningful contributions to debates, motions as well as sponsoring bilsl on the floor of the Senate.
He sponsored the National Youth Endowment and Development Fund Bill, 2018 (SB. 599), which has passed through first reading and brought to the notice of the Senate the need to post junior Cadre of the Nigeria Police Force to their States and Local Government to enhance community policing in Nigeria.
His political antecedent is quite unrivalled as he directly inherited and maintaining his late brother Isiaka Adeleke political pedigree and empire. He has delivered even beyond his campaign promises, hence people confidence in him is still firm.
After his election, he hit the ground running by continuing flying the flag of his late brother. He is determined not to leave a vacuum in giving dividends of democracy to his people and the entire Osun State.
Striving to meet the aspirations of the people at the senatorial district, he purchase a Mikano generating set for meat sellers in Iwo Local Government ;purchased new electrical transformer to Ido Osun community of Egbedore Local Government; presented N250million worth of scholarship to indigent students in Osun West senatorial district; empowered and trained 100 secondary school teachers on Computer Literacy Education in Osun West senatorial district; empowered and trained 100 youths in agricultural development skills in the Osun West senatorial district.
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During festive periods, he distributed 500 rams to Muslims faithful during the Ramadan festival across Osun state as well as Distributing 50 bags(5kg) rice per ward across the 332 wards in Osun State monthly.
He has no albatross attached to his personality. No EFCC or ICPC or any crime related offenses with which he can be witch-hunted
Charity, an adage says begins at home, he has a very supportive and successful family. He grew up in a political household. His father, late Senator Raji Ayoola, the Balogun of Ede Land served as a Senator in the Second Republic.
He is a humble person. He is in a good book of most political leaders in Osun state and beyond. He is consciously or subconsciously seen as the right candidate at the moment to many other aspirants;
Above all, he is Godly.
*Abiodun Adesuyi sent this piece from Igbajo, Boluwaduro Local Government of Osun State