Adeleke: Davido’s Father Helped Shape My Decisions, I Call Him My Adviser

OSOGBO — Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has revealed that his elder brother, Adedeji Adeleke, the father of music star Davido, has played a major role in shaping his decisions and remains one of his trusted advisers.

Speaking during an interview on Sunday Politics, Adeleke discussed his relationship with his siblings, his family upbringing and the influence they have had on his personal and political life.

The governor said his elder brother reminds him of their late father and has become a father figure to him.

“I miss my dad big time. But when I see him, I see my dad. So, he is like a father figure to me,” Adeleke said.

He said his respect for his brother’s advice grew from the wisdom and experience he had acquired, especially through years in business.

“He is a father figure. How much do I listen to him? A lot, because God has really blessed him with wisdom,” he said.

Adeleke recalled that he did not always accept his brother’s advice when they were involved in business together. He said his brother would often examine proposed ventures and warn him when he believed they would fail.

“I would say, ‘Can we do this business?’ He would say, ‘Let me take a look at it.’ And he would tell me, ‘This one is not going to work.’ I would say, ‘Oh, you want to come through me? What’s going on here?’ I would go ahead and do it, and it would not work,” he recalled.

The governor acknowledged that he was initially stubborn about accepting the advice.

“I was a bit stubborn. So, after some time, I said, ‘Wait a minute. I think I need to listen to my big brother,’” Adeleke said.

He said he subsequently began paying closer attention to his brother’s approach to business and eventually started referring to him as an adviser.

“I started studying him. And as I got older, I would call him my adviser with a portfolio,” he added.

Adeleke also praised his other siblings, particularly his elder sister, whom he said has a motherly relationship with him.

“She sounds like my mum. She behaves like my mum,” he said, describing her as both loving and disciplined.

According to the governor, the strong bond between the Adeleke siblings is largely a product of the values their parents instilled in them.

He described his late father as a highly educated and well-travelled politician and diplomat who served as a senator during Nigeria’s Second Republic.

On criticism from the opposition that his administration and political influence represent a family dynasty, Adeleke disagreed, arguing that the perception was formed by the public rather than imposed by him.

“I’m not the one that made it. It’s the people that watch us. They watch us, not me. This is democracy. Can we force them?” he said.

The governor said the Adeleke family’s close relationship had made it admired by many people.

“We are so close,” he said, recalling his childhood as the youngest sibling and how his mother had to teach him to share his belongings with his brothers and sisters.

He remembered his mother telling him: “That is good. To share. Give and take, give and take.”

Adeleke also credited his siblings with making a significant contribution to his political journey and electoral success.

Asked how much impact his siblings had on his victory, he replied: “A big time. A lot of impact.”

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