Deji Adeleke: I prayed voters would take APC money, back my brother

BILLIONAIRE businessman and father of Afrobeats singer Davido, Mr Deji Adeleke, revealed that he prayed voters in Osun State would accept money offered by the APC but vote for his younger brother, Governor Ademola Adeleke.

He spoke after Ademola won a second term in office at the August 15 governorship election, saying reports of alleged vote-buying influenced his decision to seek divine intervention.

Deji alleged that the APC deployed about N60 billion during the election and that voters in some areas were offered up to N50,000 in exchange for their votes.

Ademola, who contested under the Accord platform, polled 511,067 votes to defeat the APC candidate, Mr Bola Oyebamiji, who secured 444,815 votes.

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The victory represents the APC’s second successive loss in the Osun governorship election. Ademola had previously defeated the then-governor, Gboyega Oyetola, in the 2022 poll.

Oyetola, now Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, continued to play a prominent role in the APC and backed the party’s campaign during the 2026 election.

According to Deji, he did not attempt to compete with the opposition over alleged election spending. Instead, he said he went into his room on election day, knelt down and prayed.

He said his prayer was that voters should collect whatever money was offered to them but still vote for Ademola.

“I said, ‘God Almighty, let people collect their money but still vote for Ademola Adeleke,'” he said.

He attributed the Adeleke camp’s victory to faith rather than superior financial resources or political structures. He said the family did not defeat Oyetola because it was bigger than him or because it spent more money, but because of its reliance on God.

The businessman also explained that prayer remains central to his daily life, saying he uses selected Bible passages and verses whenever he prays.

He identified Isaiah 41:10 as one of the scriptures he regularly reads and prays with, describing the election result as part of his testimony.

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Deji said his strong belief in God had also reduced his interest in seeking political influence or cultivating relationships with people in powerful positions.

He said he does not feel compelled to pursue power or compete with others for access to influential figures, preferring instead to depend on God.

“I’d rather ask God Almighty to help me in my little corner,” he said.