The governor of Osun State, Ademola Adeleke, has revealed that if his father hadn’t discouraged him, he would have pursued a career in music instead of politics.
Adeleke, also known as the dancing governor, gained popularity for his energetic dance moves in public, many of which went viral on social media. Interestingly, he is the uncle of Nigerian music sensation Davido.
During his governorship campaign, his dancing became a topic of discussion, with opponents questioning his suitability for governance while supporters argued that it demonstrated his ability to connect with people from all walks of life.
Speaking in a recent interview on ARISE TV, the 63-year-old politician shared that his love for music goes back to his childhood.
Adeleke said, “Actually, I was supposed to be a musician right away. But my father, when we were growing up in the sixties, didn’t allow it. They didn’t believe that somebody should go and do music. They just wanted you to go to school. So he discouraged me. But I know that I have that talent. It’s the talent I passed on to my nephew and my son.
“If you play music now, I don’t know how I would just start dancing. My body would just start moving without knowing it.
“I got to America in 1981. The name of my school at that time in Alabama was Jacksonville State University. It was in the countryside. At that time, the school was having their anniversary, and a lot of activities were happening there. So I picked the dancing part. So, after the stages, we got to the finals.
“So, to cut a long story short, I won. I remember vividly that the president of our school was trying to pronounce my name, Ademola Adeleke, he called me Jackson. And at that time, Michael Jackson was reigning. So that’s how I got the name Jackson.”
