RIP! Senator Isiaka Adeleke, First Governor Of Osun, Is Dead

Isiaka Adeleke, senator representing Osun west, is dead. He reportedly died on Sunday morning at Biket Hospital, Osogbo, after suffering a heart attack. His colleague at the senate, Shehu Sani, described the late Adeleke as a 'principled and responsible gentleman'.

Adeleke was elected first governor of Osun state in 1992 under Social Democratic Party (SDP).

Read his profile below:

Senator Isiaka Adetunji Adeleke was born on January 15, 1955 to the family of Ayoola Adeleke and Esther Adeleke. His father was once a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Though an indigene of Osun State, he was born in Enugu State and was there in his early years before the civil war began. He was a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria representing Osun West senatorial District until his last moment on earth. 

He had his Primary Education at Christ Church School, Enugu before his family moved to Ibadan. He however completed his secondary school at Ogbomosho Grammar School where he had his West Africa School Certificate in 1972. He then proceeded to the Jacksonville State University United States of America where he bagged a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science in 1983. In 1985, he obtained his Masters in Public Administration from the same Institution. 

Before becoming a senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, he was the Chairman, Governing Council, Nigerian Export Promotion Council, Pro-Chancellor And Chairman, Governing Council, University of Calabar, Nigeria. He was also the Director of Pacific Merchant Bank and Chairman of Tadel Investment Limited. 

During the Nigerian third republic, Adeleke ran for thr governorship post of the newly created Osun State which was carved out from Oyo State under the then Social Democratic Party, the dominant party in the state but he was not initially favored to win. The front runner was a lawyer, Oladipo Oladosu but after a close primary in which Adeleke came second, Adeleke was able to win a runoff. He was then elected the first civilian Governor of Osun State in 1992. Notable decisions made by Adeleke was the establishment of a polytechnic at Iree, a college of technology at Esa-Oke and the completion of the Osun State Broadcasting Corporation. 

In 2007, Isiaka Adetunji Adeleke contested for a seat in the Osun West Senatorial district under the platform People's Democratic Party (PDP) and won. He lost out in the 2011 elections. 

However, In the 2015 elections, he again re-contested for a seat in the Osun West Senatorial District under the Platform of the All Progressives Congress(APC) and Won.
It is worthy of note that he targeted to sponsor bills that will improve Nigeria’s Criminal Justice System. 

He also bagged the National award of Commander of the Order of the Niger (C.O.N).