How we defeated Oyetola despite spending ₦60bn — Davido’s father

Dr Adedeji Adeleke, father of Nigerian music star Davido and elder brother of Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke, has attributed the family’s electoral victory over former governor Gboyega Oyetola to their strong faith in God rather than financial strength.

Adeleke made the remarks while reflecting on the election, insisting that the victory was not secured because his side had more money to spend. He alleged that as much as ₦60 billion was spent in the election and that votes were allegedly bought for as high as ₦15,000 in some areas for a single vote.

“The only reason why we defeated him is not because we are bigger people and we spend more money than him,” he said.

According to Adeleke, he did not engage in such spending on election day. Instead, he said he returned to his room, knelt down and prayed, asking God to determine the outcome of the election.

“When I had 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 Almighty. I said, God Almighty, please let people collect their money, but let them still vote for us,” he said.

He further stressed that his confidence throughout the election was rooted in his religious faith, describing his belief in God as the reason he was not intimidated by the opposition.

“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,” Adeleke said.

The businessman also spoke about his personal prayer routine, revealing that he reads and prays with several Bible passages daily.

He said his routine includes passages from the Bible that he considers important to his faith and described the practice as part of his testimony.

The comments come against the backdrop of the Adeleke family’s continued political influence in Osun State. Ademola Adeleke recently secured re-election as governor, defeating the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Bola Oyebamiji.