Drama unfolded on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics when the re-elected governor of Osun State, Senator Ademola Adeleke, displayed his trademark dancing skills during an interview on the programme.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Adeleke, the candidate of the Accord Party, winner of the Osun governorship election held on Saturday, August 15, 2026.
The former senator, popularly known as the “Dancing Governor,” displayed what he has often described as a personal hobby after he was prompted by the programme’s anchor, Seun Okinbaloye.
Asked whether he could express his feelings to Nigerians and the rest of the world through music, Adeleke responded in the affirmative, saying, “You got it.”
The governor then danced to “Feel,” a hit song by his nephew, Davido, first while seated and later on his feet, displaying the dance moves for which he has become famous.
Adeleke described his victory as an appreciation from the people of Osun State, saying his administration had made frantic efforts to deliver the dividends of democracy to them.
He assured the people that he would do more during his second term.
The governor also said the opposition, particularly the All Progressives Congress (APC), underestimated him because of his public image and dancing skills.
Adeleke said his victory was particularly satisfying because many people had initially dismissed him as unserious and incapable of effective governance.
“At first, a lot of people underestimated me because of my dancing skills. A lot of people believed I wasn’t a serious person; that I would just go there, dance and have fun.
“But for me, I like people to underrate me. When you underrate me, I hit you from the back,” the governor said.
Adeleke added that his administration’s achievements in infrastructure, healthcare, agriculture, workers’ welfare and road development ultimately changed the perception of voters and earned him a second term.
“So that was what really happened. Before they knew what was going on, what the APC could not achieve in Osun in 12 years, I had already achieved in three and a half years,” he said.
Adeleke said his administration came into office with a clear blueprint and a competent team, which enabled it to deliver projects across the state.
“Immediately we came in, we had a blueprint and I had a very fantastic team, so we got to work. Before they could know what was going on, we had done infrastructure, connectivity of roads and health,” he said.
The governor also cited his relationship with organised labour as one of the factors that endeared him to workers in the state.
He said Osun had not experienced a strike under his administration, stressing that he allowed labour unions to negotiate directly with the government on issues affecting workers.
“For the first time in history, there has never been a strike for one day. Even when the minimum wage issue came, I told them: ‘Go and negotiate. Go and do what you have to do. Bring it to me and I will sign it.’
“So they are very happy. I kept wondering whether they would say thank you by giving me another chance for the second time. And they spoke loud and clear,” Adeleke said.
The governor said his personal relationship with the people, accessibility and grassroots connection also played a major role in his victory.
“I think it’s my person. It’s my person. They love my personality. I give them joy. I’m very accessible. I’m grassroots, so I’m free with everybody. I love my people, and they love me back. And, of course, performance. All of these joined together to make it great,” he said.
In another emotional moment, Adeleke revealed that he visited the grave of his late brother, Senator Isiaka Adeleke, popularly known as Serubawon, before the governorship election to seek his prayers and draw psychological strength from him.
Adeleke said he shared similar traits with his late brother and still missed him greatly.
“My late brother Serubawon and I, we are alike. We behave the same way. He loved life too. I miss him a lot,” he said.
The governor said he sometimes visited his brother’s grave and became emotional, adding that he went there again on the eve of the election to seek his brother’s prayers.
“Sometimes I cry. I go to his grave and say, ‘Brother, I miss you,’ and I cry. Even yesterday, before the election, I always go there and say, ‘Brother, here I am again on the march. I am going for an election. I want you to pray for me.’ You know, just a psychological boost for me,” he disclosed.
Isiaka Adeleke, who died on April 23, 2017, was the first civilian governor of Osun State and later represented Osun West Senatorial District in the Senate.
His younger brother, Ademola Adeleke, later contested the Osun West senatorial seat and won, with the celebration of his victory bringing his dancing skills into the public spotlight.
Speaking about his family’s role in his political journey, Adeleke said his siblings had remained supportive throughout his career.
He also attributed his re-election to the continued support of the people of Osun State, saying the electorate had embraced the Adeleke family.
On the perception that he had turned Osun into an Adeleke dynasty, the governor said the people, rather than himself, were responsible for the development.
“I’m not the one that made it. It’s the Osun people that want us. They believe that our family is a family that a lot of people will love their family to be like that,” he said.
Adeleke also described his elder brother, Adedeji Adeleke, father of Davido, as a father figure and trusted adviser whose counsel had helped shape his decisions.
The governor said he still missed his late father but that seeing his elder brother reminded him of 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.
The former federal lawmaker said he listened to his elder brother because of the wisdom he had acquired over the years, particularly from his experience as a businessman.
“He is a father figure. How much do I listen to him? A lot, because God has really blessed him with wisdom,” the governor said.
Adeleke recalled that while they were involved in business together, his brother often advised him against certain ventures that he considered unviable.
“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 said.
The governor admitted that he was initially stubborn and did not always heed his brother’s 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,’” he said.
Adeleke said he subsequently began to appreciate his brother’s business acumen and started treating him as an adviser.
“I started studying him. And as I got older, I would call him my adviser with a portfolio,” he added.
The governor also said his mother taught him the importance of sharing and mutual support.
“She had to call me and say, ‘That is good. To share. Give and take, give and take,’” he recalled.
Adeleke also reaffirmed his support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election, describing the President as a father figure and disclosing that Tinubu called him after the election to congratulate him.
“He called me and, well, I see him as a father. So he called me and said, ‘Mr Governor, what’s going on? How is the election going?’
“I said, ‘Your son is cruising to victory. I’ve won,’ and all that,” Adeleke recalled.
According to him, Tinubu congratulated him and said democracy was prevailing.
Adeleke said he appreciated the President for the gesture and would continue to support him while also seeking his intervention on issues affecting the state.
The governor specifically said he would raise the issue of funds he claimed had been withheld from local governments in the state for almost two years, saying the situation had constrained his administration’s ability to complete some projects.
“When I see Mr President, I will talk to him about it. I will tell him, ‘Listen, the election is over, and I think we should do that,’ because it’s not easy,” he said.
He explained that the financial constraints had affected the state’s ability to execute projects despite an improvement in internally generated revenue.
“I wish I had more money to fix a lot of things. There are some projects that are almost completed, but because of funds, they seized our local government funds for almost two years. No government can survive it. No government can,” he said.
According to Adeleke, the state’s improved internally generated revenue had also been largely committed to workers’ salaries and other obligations.
“Our IGR has really improved greatly. But by the time we finish paying salaries and doing other things, there is no more money,” he said.
On allegations that his administration had concentrated development in his hometown, Ede, Adeleke dismissed the claim as propaganda, insisting that projects had been distributed across the state.
“Leave that one now. Those are propaganda,” he said.
The governor pointed to flyovers, road projects and other infrastructure in Osogbo and other parts of the state as evidence of his administration’s wider development agenda.
“I put flyovers where I think they are necessary because of traffic congestion,” he said, adding that his administration had also dualised numerous roads in Osogbo and undertaken projects in Ife.
“Because I’m from Ede and I’m governor, Ede is part of Osun State, so I have to fix Ede too. But the development cuts across the state. There is no local government that I did not touch,” he said.
Adeleke said some roads across the state had been abandoned for decades before his administration intervened.
He cited roads that had allegedly been abandoned for about 45 years, saying he personally inspected some of the projects and directed the Commissioner for Works to ensure their completion.
The governor also rejected allegations that incompetent contractors were responsible for the alleged deterioration of some roads constructed by his administration.
“Those people are just talking. Why would I go and hire somebody who is not competent? No, no, no, no. That’s not right,” he said.
