Gov. Adeleke Tests Street Popularity As Excited Residents Mob His Convoy

By Adesina Soyooye

If the Osun State Governorship Election was held on Wednesday, December 10, 2025, instead of August 2026, there would have been no doubt as to the winner. It would be the incumbent Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke – by miles. It would have been like the result of a football match between Lionel Messi and Ronaldo on one side, and an elementary school football team on the other side.

24 hours after he was forced by circumstances which he never foresaw to publicly unveil the Accord Party for which he dumped the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, a Party he still professes to love, a Party he acknowledged gave him the platform to be a Senator, and later a Governor, and picked the Governorship ticket, the Governor decided to test his street popularity. He decided to flaunt it. To put his credibility to test. That was important for, the Accord Party is a relatively unknown Party. It is not in the big league. But having picked the ticket, he needed to know if his people will still be with him.

A hugely popular Governor, who is simple, and carries no airs around and about  inspite of his very privileged background, he needed to know what his people thought about him. True, they had always pledged to be by his side at all times, he didn’t want to take that for granted.

Osun State has PDP in its DNA, and he has just left the Party for a new one. He needed to know that his people love him for himself; he needed to confirm  that they appreciate the transformation he had brought to Osun State. They call him Imolè (Light), because they say he brings Light wherever he stepped his feet.

But he need not have worried. He should have known that politics aside, with his people, he has the popularity of a rock star! But if he was ever in doubt, he confirmed it as soon as he took to the street, unplanned, unscheduled, just on impulse, in a convoy, with the leadership of his new Party.

As soon as the people saw him, they went wild. They swarmed on his convoy in their thousands like bees. They mobbed him. They wanted to touch him. They screamed his name. They screamed “Imolè”. They told him: “where you go, we go!”

The impusive drive was a show to prove Adeleke’s credibility. As he drove round the streets of Osogbo, the State Capital, more thousands of people rushed out. They wanted him. His security details were helpless. They couldn’t control the crowd. They couldn’t keep them away from him. This was their Governor. Their son. Their brother. Their friend. The one who has empowered them. The one who picked a young female graduate selling

“puff-puff”, bought  all she was selling from her, invited her and her parents to Government House, gave her a job immediately, and gave her parents the sum of four million Naira, to start off any business of their choice; he is the one who has constructed roads, bridges, schools, hospitals, provided water, cried with them, rejoiced with them, laughed with them, sang with them, and danced with them; the one who brings joy.

So, Adeleke drove from the Stadium area to Igboona, Okefia, to Government House. As the convoy moved, it was difficult to contain the crowd. His convoy was  intermittently stopped by adoring students, excited shop owners and artisans.

They shouted the name of his new party. “Accord, tesojue; Ibo, ibo; imole lekansi” rented the air.

It turned to a carnival. From Igbomna to Orisunmibare,  residents trekked and ran alongside  his convoy. Hundreds of

Accord Party caps and flags were snatched from the convoy by the people.They took the caps to wear. And the flags to flaunt.

When the convoy got to Igboona, the Chairman of the artisans group interrupted it. He halted it. His people rushed out to hail their Governor and  Accord Party.

The convoy went from Orisunmibare to Olaiya, now at  snail speed because of the crowd. Residents were singing and praising the Adeleke family and Accord Party. The family that has looked after them – in office or not. The family that is known for its philanthropy.

At Freedom Square, the market people went wild. They abandoned their business for the day and sang along: “Accord, Accord, Accord.”

To get to Olaiya from Orisunmibare  took about 35 minutes because the street was taken over by  jubilating residents who shouted “where you go, we go” Even big business men and women were not left out.They took over the streets and screamed: “votes, votes, votes”

When the convoy  got to the Olaiya under Bridge, and headed  to Alekuwodo, the singing of “Ademola min gboro titi” rented the air.

This time, it was

the market women at Alekuwodo who stormed the convoy and held the Governor down for several minutes with shouts of “Imole , Imole , imole”.

They were personally led by

the Iyaloja for Alekuwodo, hundreds of them, to pray for  Governor Adeleke.

At the Okefia bridge, Accord flags had taken over  the whole area, with more residents trooping out to join the procession.

With Adeleke’s popularity, it is likely going to be an uphill task to “push” him out of Government House, even with his decampment to the little known party. Said a resident: “Imole’s charisma will overcome any obstacles”.