Dr. Adedeji Adeleke, billionaire businessman, father of Afrobeats star Davido, and elder brother of Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke, has attributed the family’s victory in the recent Osun governorship election to strong faith in God and fervent prayers rather than superior financial resources.
Speaking at a ceremony held to celebrate Governor Adeleke’s re-election victory (secured under the Accord Party against the All Progressives Congress candidate), Dr. Adeleke insisted the win over former governor Gboyega Oyetola and the APC was not because his side was bigger or spent more money.
He alleged that the opposition spent as much as ₦60 billion during the election, with votes reportedly bought for as high as ₦15,000 to ₦50,000 in some areas for a single vote. “They spent 60 billion as we heard. Some places they bought votes for as high as 50,000 Naira for one single vote,” he said in remarks captured in a widely shared video.
According to Dr. Adeleke, his side did not spend any money on election day. Upon hearing the scale of the alleged spending, he returned to his room, knelt down, and prayed. “On the day of the election, when I heard the kind of money they were spending, I went back to my little corner in my room and I knelt down and I prayed to God. I said, God Almighty, please let people collect their money, but let them still vote for Ademola Adeleke,” he stated.
He emphasized that his confidence stemmed from his belief in God: “The only reason why we defeated Oyetola is not because we are bigger, or we spend more money than him… The reason why we defeated Oyetola and why I was not afraid was not because we have more money, we didn’t even spend any money on election day, it was because my belief in God Almighty is very strong.”
Dr. Adeleke also described his personal prayer routine, noting that he regularly reads and prays with specific Bible passages (including from Isaiah chapter 41 and other scriptures such as portions of the Psalms), sometimes inserting his brother’s name, and that he maintained fasting on certain days. He said he kept much of this private and had no doubt his brother would win.
The comments come after the Independent National Electoral Commission declared Governor Ademola Adeleke the winner of the August 2026 Osun governorship election. The statements have circulated widely in Nigerian media, with slight variations in reported vote-buying figures across outlets, all drawn from the same video remarks by Dr. Adeleke.
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